Citizens resort to social media to highlight harassment and theft

Posts help victims prompt police action only after posts gain viral traction

Police register complaint and commence investigation into two incidents

Increasingly, citizens resort to social media to highlight instances of harassment and theft, prompting police action only after posts gain viral traction.

In one case, a Reddit user shared a disturbing incident where his girlfriend was spanked by a scooter rider while walking near the National College Metro station in Jayanagar at 10 pm.

Expressing frustration over women’s safety, the user revealed the woman’s post-trauma sleeplessness. Following public attention, the police initiated a manhunt, obtaining CCTV footage from the area.

In a separate incident, a Delhi-based woman journalist attending an award ceremony in Bengaluru claimed her wallet containing Rs 10,000, a debit card, and diamond earrings worth Rs 1.5 lakh were stolen from a 5-star hotel.

Despite providing CCTV evidence to the Marathahalli SHO, the officer insisted the hotel file the complaint, causing delay.

The victim took to social media, tagging the police commissioner, decrying the lack of assistance. Only after her public outcry did the police register the complaint and commence an investigation.

Instances like these underscore the growing reliance on social media as a catalyst for law enforcement response in the face of emerging urban crimes.