A 42-year-old man in Kozhikode, Kerala committed suicide following the release and viral spread of a video claiming he had sexually harassed a woman on a KSRTC bus. Police said the woman who made the video and disseminated it was a passenger on the same bus when the incident happened. She accused the man of acting indecently to her during the ride, and the video went on to gather over 2 million views in no time, consequently attracting a lot of public interest and reactions. The victim, whose name was Deepak U, a local of Govindapuram and a worker at a textile company, was later discovered hanging at home days after the video went viral. His relatives claimed that he was going through a lot of mental pressure because of the online publicity and the video being shared widely, which, as they said, was the cause of him taking notice of it before his death.
Influencer Shimjitha Musthafa Booked For Abetment Of Suicide After Kerala Man Dies Over Viral Bus Video
The case of unnatural death was first registered by the local police in relation to the suicide of Deepak, but upon receiving a complaint from his relatives, a new FIR was lodged against the woman, Shimjitha Musthafa (35), residing in Vadakara, under Section 108 of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to abetment of suicide. The Police of Kozhikode Medical College had the case in their hands, and the authorities have already made it clear that the charge of abetment is based on the accusation that the social media post and its being viral caused Deepak so much trouble that he took the unfortunate step.
Sex Harassment Or Trick To Gain Social Media Followers?
In the light of the incident and public uproar, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSCHRC) took the matter seriously, ordered a probe, and directed the North Zone Deputy Inspector General of Police to get back with a detailed report within a week. The highly controversial case has opened up a very broad discussion on social media and media in general regarding the effects of viral content, the mental health implications, and the role of social media users when it comes to sharing sensitive videos. Political personalities like the BJP’s P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, for example, went to visit Deepak’s family and claimed that the investigation was dragging on, citing an increase in similar cases where social media posts are said to be made solely for the sake of attention or money. The whole matter is still giving rise to various queries about the impact of online accusations and public shaming on people’s lives and the rules regarding the posting of such content.
