SIT to probe defamatory content targeting woman IAS officer

Telangana Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe cases relating to the circulation and telecast of allegedly defamatory, obscene and sexually coloured content against a serving woman IAS officer, following complaints of character assassination, violation of privacy and online harassment.

According to official orders issued on Monday, the SIT was formed with immediate effect to probe two cases registered by the Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, and police stations in Narayanpet district. The team will function under the overall supervision of Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar and is headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (North Range) N. Swetha. The SIT has been directed to complete the investigation early.

The cases stem from a complaint lodged by senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan on behalf of the Telangana IAS Officers’ Association, alleging that a television news channel and several associated digital and social media platforms broadcast and circulated false, baseless and sensational content against a woman IAS officer. The complaint states that the content made insinuations about the officer’s personal life, linked her official postings to personal relationships and employed sexually coloured remarks and double-meaning expressions, amounting to an attack on her dignity and modesty.

According to the complaint, the telecast, aired earlier this month, did not directly name the officer but made oblique references that clearly identified her by citing her recent postings. It alleged that this disclosure stripped the officer of anonymity, violated her right to privacy and exposed her to public ridicule, harassment and potential danger. The complainant further stated that the broadcast lacked verification, relied on fabricated claims and resulted in widespread circulation on social media platforms, leading to cyberstalking and severe mental trauma to the officer.

Based on the complaint, the police registered cases under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 75, 78 and 79 relating to sexual harassment and acts intended to outrage the modesty of a woman, Sections 351(1) and 352(2) relating to criminal intimidation and insult, as well as provisions dealing with provoking breach of peace. Sections of the Information Technology Act, including Section 67 pertaining to publication and transmission of obscene material in electronic form, have also been invoked.

The FIR names the management, editors, reporters and anchors of nine television channels concerned, along with several social media handles and digital platforms that allegedly amplified the content. The complaint alleges that the coordinated publication and circulation of the material constituted an indecent representation of women and an abuse of media platforms to undermine the dignity of a serving civil servant.