`Pyar ke side effects': How boys use social media to entrap gullible girls in AP
On 2 August, the Andhra Pradesh police arrested 23-year-old Chennupalli Prasanna Kumar, alias Prashant Reddy, who allegedly cheated over 300 women through ShareChat, Facebook, and Instagram and extorted money from them.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 25 Aug 2021 4:41 AM GMT
Vijayawada: The broad daylight murder of B.Tech student N Ramya in Guntur has sent shock waves across Andhra Pradesh.
Cops, however, point out that there was no scope of preventing the crime when the parents themselves weren't aware of social media relationship of the victim with the accused.
It may be recalled that Ramya, a third-year engineering student was stabbed multiple times by her jilted Instagram acquaintance Sasi Kumar on August 15. He was relentlessly stalking her for several days prior to the murder.
This was not the only jilted love-linked murder in Andhra Pradesh. More than 16 such incidents have been reported across the state since 2020.
Women using the Andhra Pradesh Police's digital services like the Disha app and Cyber Mithra have filed petitions related to cyberstalking, bullying, and cheating on social media. Officials point out that there is a need to sensitize women.
On August 2, Andhra Pradesh police arrested 23-year-old Chennupalli Prasanna Kumar alias Prashant Reddy alias Rajareddy, alias Tony who allegedly cheated and extorted money from 300 women through ShareChat, Facebook and Instagram.
Senior police officer SV Rajasekhar Reddy said the trend of men luring women on social media through deception and lies accounts for most such crimes.
A few weeks ago, a man was arrested for cheating over 300 women and extorting lakhs of rupees. Even in Ramya's murder case, the accused presented himself as a stylish and charming youth.
Police data indicate that over 30 percent of harassment cases against women happen to be linked to unrequited love.
Psychologists said in most social media relationships, the men tend to keep it a secret from their parents or relatives.
It is important for the parents, government, and especially the police to take the initiative and raise awareness among youth about online fraudsters trying to honey trap strangers for financial or even sexual gains, they added.
A delegation of the National SC Commission led by its vice-chairman Arun Halder visited Guntur on Tuesday to check the status of N Ramya case. The team also interacted with the family members of the victim, the police, and others.
