‘Trolls’ face Hyderabad police crackdown, 20 cases over last month

The DCP told reporters: “This (action) is not based on any political party but is a message to trolls that they cannot escape in the garb of anonymity.”

According to her, police have observed some youth posting content that are objectionable, defamatory and insulting, using morphed videos against some public representatives with an intention to increase their subscribers and traction online to earn easy money. Chasing “likes” and “subscribers”, they were sometimes posting content which even harmed the modesty of women, she said.

Adding that these actions are punishable under the IPC as well as the Information Technology Act, she warned owners and operators of YouTube channels not to indulge in any form of trolling, be it memes or videos that are outrageous, abusive and indecent to the modesty of women in general and an individual in specific.

“We have registered about 20 cases recently against the owners or uploaders of various trolling channels, which are spreading objectionable, defamatory and insulting morphed videos against various public representatives. We have traced eight persons and taken necessary legal action against them. Most of the trolls are young men in the age group of 20 to 30 years, either studying or dropped out. Such attraction and craze of trolling in the long term can lead to and promote even indecency and encourage lawlessness among youth,” the DCP stated.

Police have issued notices under section 41 A CrPC to Attada Srinivasa Rao of Vizianagaram district who allegedly runs TrollerKurradu @trollerkurradu4308; Sirasani Manikanta of YSR Kadapa district who allegedly runs Mr. Massabbayi @MrMassabbayi; Baddanj Sravan of Nizamabad who allegedly runs Yankamma Trolls; Motam Srinu of Warangal who allegedly runs Telugu Trolls New; Peraka Nagavenkata Jyothi Kiran of Krishna district who allegedly runs Chimtu Trolls; Vadluri Naveen of Jagityal district who allegedly runs Team of Trolling Banthi Puvvu Trolls; Bolli Chandrashekar of Karimnagar district who allegedly runs Chandu Trolls; and Billa Srikanth of Kadapa who allegedly runs CheviloPuvvu troll channel.

Responding to queries, the DCP added that there were complaints of “vulgar, objectionable, indecent and immodest (content) against Kavitha and she being a woman and a public representative, we have to take action. If someone is not respecting a woman in a position, he cannot respect any women in society.”

However, she clarified that the eight persons who have been served notices are those who have posted all kinds of content against political representatives across parties.
The DCP said that police have sought assistance from Google to initiate action against some of the men. They have been asked to delete their social media pages or handles or channels. The police are also in the process of writing to the Integrated Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to take action against certain YouTube channels.