An anonymous twitter handle @LutyensInsider went into dormancy after Delhi-based journalist and author Swati Chaturvedi complained to the police against the account’s sexually disturbing posts.
The Twitter account posted a chain of slanders and aspersions against the author and likened her to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.
Chaturvedi, explaining her move to file a complaint on grounds of online harassment wrote,” My reputation is my most precious asset. So after tossing and turning all night, I decided that I will do, what we as the media, keep prescribing to others – take action.”
“The posts may have been hurriedly deleted but I am confident that the investigators will soon reveal the harasser’s true identity,” she added.
Swati received wide applause from her colleagues with many expressing their solidarity with her.
Barkha Dutt, tweeted :
More power to @bainjal for a legal case against vicious slander. Most of us, women especially, seethe with rage & then dont follow through
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) June 10, 2015
“Well done Swati. You are brave and diligent for taking out time to do this,” Smita Prakash, news editor of the Delhi-based Asian News International (ANI), said on Twitter.
Attagirl @bainjal ! You hunted the devil down… https://t.co/RNWmQVd7o7 — Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) June 10, 2015
@bainjal @Support Taking inspiration from you, reported a few abusers to Twitter today. Otherwise was thinking of ignoring them. @Raheelk
— meena karnik (@meenakarnik) June 11, 2015
Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand said, “This should be a prime example for everyone on the Internet. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean that you demean, defame or disparage anybody. I’m glad she has invoked the section for harassment because the purpose of making it was exactly this kind of situation.”
Swati highlighted that her action stems from her dsire to prevent twitter from becoming another platform for women harassment. “Women get molested on the streets of India… Are we going to have the same thing virtually as well?” she said.
“This is why I am committed to taking this case to its logical conclusion, which is, the individual behind this account going to jail,” she continued.
While police have confirmed they received the complaint, they have made no announcement about any arrests.
@LutyensInsider has now deleted all the offending posts and changed the name of the account.