Bengaluru: A seemingly harmless ‘hi’ message on WhatsApp turned into a disturbing case of online sexual harassment for a woman accountant working at a consultancy firm in south Bengaluru.
According to a complaint filed by the woman, identified as Shalini (name changed), she received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number at around 1.49 am on July 29 while she was asleep at home.
Unknown caller repeatedly made video calls
Shalini initially ignored the message as it had come from an unfamiliar number. However, she was reportedly shocked when the same number began making video calls over the following two days while she was at work.
According to her complaint, when she answered the calls, the unidentified caller allegedly exposed himself and performed obscene acts on camera.
The incident has raised concerns over the misuse of WhatsApp and other online communication platforms to target women with unsolicited and sexually explicit content.
Similar case reported in Bengaluru
The incident is reportedly one of two similar cases of online sexual harassment reported in Bengaluru within a month.
On July 14, an 18-year-old girl was allegedly targeted by an unidentified man who used a fake parcel delivery story to persuade her to answer a WhatsApp video call.
The man allegedly sent an explicit photograph and followed it with abusive voice messages.
Growing concern over online harassment
The incidents highlight the risks posed by unsolicited messages and video calls from unknown numbers. Women and young people are increasingly vulnerable to harassment through messaging platforms, particularly when strangers use deceptive identities or stories to initiate contact.
The cases also underline the importance of reporting such incidents to the police and preserving messages, call records and other digital evidence that may assist investigations.