Karnataka Police Ordered to File FIRs in Revenge Porn, Sextortion Cases
The Karnataka government has issued a standing order making it mandatory for police to register First Information Reports (FIRs) in all cases involving the non-consensual sharing, publication, or transmission of intimate photos and videos, Home Minister Priyank Kharge announced on Thursday.
In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Kharge stated that the order clarifies a crucial legal principle: consent to record an image or video does not imply consent to share or circulate it. "This direction reinforces the constitutional right to privacy and ensures a uniform, victim-sensitive, and legally sound response across all police stations in Karnataka," he said.
The standing order addresses what is commonly known as "revenge pornography," "sextortion," and blackmail involving intimate content. Police officers are required to take immediate action in such cases, the minister explained. The order explicitly states that any sharing, publishing, forwarding, or transmission of intimate material without consent is a distinct cognisable offence, even if the material was originally recorded with consent.
Under the order, police must register FIRs under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. Specific sections mentioned include Section 77 of the BNS, and Sections 66E, 67, and 67A of the IT Act.
To address jurisdictional issues, the order mandates that police stations register a Zero-FIR and transfer it to the appropriate station without delay. Officers are also instructed to take prompt steps for removal or blocking of offending content, preserve electronic evidence, and coordinate with Cyber Crime Police Stations and the CID Cyber Division for technical investigation.
The order emphasizes that victims must be treated with dignity and sensitivity. Their identity must be kept confidential, victim-shaming must be avoided, and wherever feasible, complaints from women victims should be recorded by women officers, Mr. Kharge said.
Any failure or delay in registering an FIR on the erroneous ground of "prior consent" will be viewed seriously and may attract departmental action against the concerned officer, the minister warned.
