Digital Desk: Mumbai police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unknown persons for posting vulgar comments and issuing death threats to journalist Rana Ayyub on her social media account, reports said.
Reportedly, after Rana Ayyub filed a complaint, the west region cyber police station registered an FIR on Sunday under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 354-A (Sexual harassment) and the Information Technology Act.
“Mumbai Police has registered an FIR against those who disseminated fake news, morphed tweets and death and rape threats against me. About time these brazen and consolidated acts of online violence are stopped and the perpetrators brought to book.” Rana Ayyub tweeted.
Ayyub (37) is a Washington Post journalist best known for writing Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover-Up, an investigative book that reveals shocking details concerning the Gujarat riots in 2002.
Ayyub is a frequent target of trolls on Twitter, as she is an outspoken opponent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ayyub’s recent tweets about the ongoing war in Yemen sparked a barrage of abuse hurled at her, apparently from both Indians and Saudis.
“Yemen is bleeding and there is nobody to stop the bloodthirsty Saudis. These are people who call themselves the custodians of Islam. As a Muslim, I am ashamed that these savages are guardians of the holy mosque. The world CANNOT stay silent thru this genocide #YemenUnderAttack.” she Tweeted on January 22.
Meanwhile, in response to the alleged targeting of Ayyub, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) — an independent non-profit located in New York that works to safeguard press freedom – issued a statement to the Indian authorities urging to launch an inquiry into the matter.
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