Women Face Online Harassment, Doxxing After Jantar Mantar Protest
Soon after the Jantar Mantar protest ended on July 25, Shradha Singh, a 23-year-old M.Sc. student, posted a seven-second video on her Instagram account. Within an hour, the video had crossed a million views before she deleted it. Five days and two apologies later, she says she is still receiving rape and death threats.
The video, which Ms. Singh said was meant for entertainment, shows her at the protest site with Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel in the background, overlaid with a Harpic ad jingle. It was soon reposted by meme pages and social media accounts alleging that she had insulted the Army, prompting her to delete it. Despite posting two apology videos, the threats have not stopped.
Ms. Singh is not alone. Multiple women who participated in the Jantar Mantar protest have faced online harassment, including doxxing, rape threats, and the circulation of personal information. Videos and photographs of women attending the protest or giving social media interviews have been shared by several X and Instagram handles, urging followers to 'teach them a lesson'.
One woman was declared 'most wanted' in a post that said a 'search is on' and sought information about her whereabouts. By Thursday afternoon, posts claiming she had been identified were circulating online, carrying her name, city, and a copy of a zero FIR registered in Noida under Sections 352, 353(1), and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. In the purported video, the woman is alleged to have abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ms. Singh said she has been dealing with threatening calls and messages 'every other minute'. One comment under her post read: 'If I see you somewhere, I will kill you.' She said her phone number and address have been circulated, and her mother received abusive messages. She had to remove her mother's Instagram account.
Ms. Singh also alleged that some accounts refused to take down her video when approached. 'They told me they had been paid to post it and would not remove it. I realised I was just a tool to propagate the agenda of these accounts,' she said.
Ms. Singh said she deleted the video shortly after realising some viewers found it disrespectful. 'People are saying I insulted the Army. I did not. The personnel in the video were RAF. I did not say anything in the clip,' she said. She alleged that her video was later aired by DD News, where it was described as an insult to the Army.
A yoga instructor and content creator since 2020, Ms. Singh said that mass reporting has restricted some features on her Instagram account, including messaging. 'Through my bike registration number, people found my phone number and address. I have lost clients. Nobody asked me to apologise. I thought it would stop all of this. But it didn't,' she said.
The Hindu found that several accounts involved in sharing such content have amplified videos alleging that protesters abused public authorities or assaulted police personnel. They have also criticised demands for the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters and the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dhar.
