Odisha Police issued an advisory to curb the circulation of obscene material online (representational)
With a steady surge in circulation of objectionable pictures and videos on social media, Odisha Police issued an advisory to all senior police officers and the general public on Wednesday to fight the menace.
Terming circulation of such videos as illegal, Director General of Police (DGP) R.P. Sharma said all SPs have been directed to identify and arrest the perpetrators indulging in the crime.
"Some people are engaged in taking pictures and videos of various physical acts and make them viral on the Internet with an intention to harass and blackmail the victim leaving him or her in mental trauma," said Sharma while inaugurating a Cyber Forensic Laboratory here.
The advisory asked people not to indulge in taking pictures or videos of intimate moments or of private acts, which will attract the penal provisions of voyeurism carrying a jail term of one to three years.
Similarly, people involved in uploading objectionable pictures or videos containing obscenity will get a jail term of five years which can also be extended to seven years, it added.
"If any person comes across any objectionable viral pictures or videos being circulated on any social networking platform, he should report it at the nearest local police station or at the cyber crime police station for taking necessary legal action," said the advisory.
The advisory called for educational institutions and the people's representatives to create awareness in society, especially among the youth to abstain from such acts.