The Apex Court of the nation has asked social media sites like Facebook, WhatsApp, and search engines like Google and Yahoo to take stringent measures to block Rape videos and report such objectionable contents to authorities.
The court made these observations while examining increase instances of rape videos. The nation has witnessed a rise in incidents of sexual and other forms of physical abuse against women and children going viral on the web. It has asked search engines and social sites to find out such contents and remove it immediately. It has also asked the sites to report such contents to the agencies.
The bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur has informed the Solicitor General that it is issuing a notice and has asked social media about how such contents can be blocked. The Apex Court had asked the CBI to investigate the matter after a PIL by a social activist which asked for the impartial inquiry by a Federal agency into more than 200 rape videos sent by victims.
However, this is more easily said than done. There are instances when the investigation is influenced by muscle power and money power by the persons who commit such crime. This is the underlying reasons why the CBI has asked the courts to ensure that it is allowed a free hand to investigate such offenses.
However, the apex court has a gargantuan task on its hand. Recently the honored court asked the Central Government to probe a rampaging child sex racket which was using the Facebook as a tool for which 3000 known child abuse criminals had posted suggestive views and queries along with photos of several minor girls. The court also questioned if such media sites can also be made a co-accused in such cases.
The Capital and its adjoining areas like Gurgaon and Bulandshaher has seen a huge surge in molestation and sexual offense cases. Worse, clips of such acts are available in thousands on the web. The internet is being used as a weapon by such perpetrators of crimes knowing that social stigmas in a hypocritical society like India will ensure that such cases are not reported by the victims in the majority of the cases.
The callous attitude of the law enforcing agency is no better nor is the political class which has often trivialized such issues. Recently Meneka Gandhi had issued a statement saying that India is among lowest four countries in a number of rapes. It was only after a furor on the social media; she clarified that she is not reducing then the gravity of the crime by her statement.
