Bengaluru, Oct 9
The Karnataka Police on Thursday submitted a chargesheet against 12 people to the court in connection with posting of vulgar messages to Kannada actress and former Congress MP Ramya, after she expressed sympathy for the family of the victim in the fan murder case related to actor Darshan.
All 12 accused are fans of actor Darshan, who is the second accused in the fan murder case. His partner Pavithra Gowda is the first accused.
Both Darshan and Pavithra Gowda are currently lodged in Bengaluru Central jail.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru Unit, has submitted a 380-page chargesheet to the 45th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court. The police have also included screenshots of the messages and comments made on social media.
The chargesheet also contains the statement of actress Ramya and the confessional statements of the accused people. While the chargesheet has been filed against 12 accused, the police are still searching for six more suspects.
The police stated that an additional chargesheet will be filed once the remaining accused are arrested and investigated. Of the 12 arrested, four are still in jail, while the others have been released on bail.
The court is expected to take up the trial soon.
Darshan's fans had targeted Ramya for sharing a post about the fan murder case and commenting that justice should be served.
Ramya had lodged a police complaint against 43 social media accounts. The accused had even threatened the actress with rape.
Ramya had filed a complaint with Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh on July 28 evening against actor Darshan's fans for sending obscene and defamatory messages following her remarks on the fan murder case.
Ramya had said, "I shared news about the Supreme Court's development regarding actor Darshan's bail petition to give hope to common people about justice. After that, the trolling began. I have filed this complaint as a voice for women."
"I have lodged a complaint against 43 social media accounts. Some of them even threatened me with rape. If this can happen to me, what about others? Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh has assured me of action and has transferred the case to the Cyber Crime Wing. Women have the same freedom as men. Actor Darshan should have asked his fans not to post such messages," she added.
"As celebrities and public figures, we must follow the law and set an example for others. Earlier, superstars Yash and Kichcha Sudeep were also targeted online. I had raised the issue back then too. Had action been taken earlier, things might not have escalated to this level," she said.
Ramya further pointed out that many of the accused used fake profiles with women's names and posted indecent photos. She said she has received support from the film industry, but many women are afraid to speak out due to fear of character assassination.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is why we need stricter cyber laws in India. Using fake profiles with women's names to harass actual women shows how low these people can stoop. Good job by Karnataka Police for taking this seriously.
While I support action against genuine threats, I hope the police are careful not to criminalize legitimate criticism. Sometimes fans get emotional about their favorite stars, but threats are never acceptable.
Blind fan following has become a real problem in our country. People forget that celebrities are human beings too and have the right to express opinions. Ramya was absolutely right to file this complaint.
As a woman from Bengaluru, I feel so relieved seeing this action. Many of us face online harassment but are too scared to report. Ramya has shown courage that will inspire many others. More power to her! 💪
The fact that they used women's names for fake profiles makes this even more disturbing. This sets an important precedent - online abuse won't be tolerated, no matter who you're a fan of.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.