The Delhi High Court has instructed the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to develop an educational program aimed at informing teenagers about the legal consequences of sharing intimate content on social media or the internet without the consent of the other party involved. The court’s decision came in response to numerous cases in which victims reported being sexually abused due to their partners capturing inappropriate videos or photos of their relationships and then threatening to post them online.Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who presided over the case, highlighted the alarming trend of using such videos and photographs to blackmail and continue the sexual abuse of victims. The court acknowledged that even young boys have fallen prey to such exploitation.
The order was issued while denying bail to a person named Sakib Ahmed.According to the allegations, Ahmed established a relationship with a minor girl three years ago. In January-February 2021, he allegedly engaged in physical relations with her and threatened to publicly share a video of the incident if she spoke out. It was further claimed that Ahmed had repeated this behavior a year ago and was now pressuring the girl to convert her religion and marry him. The applicant was also accused of pelting eggs and stones at the girl’s house.Ahmed’s counsel argued that the relationship was consensual and he was being falsely accused. However, after examining the evidence, Justice Sharma concluded that the accused not only engaged in physical relations with the girl under false pretenses of marriage but also recorded videos of these acts.
The court emphasized that this was not a case of consensual adolescent love, as the accused had resorted to abuse, blackmail, inducement, threat, and violence to coerce the girl into converting her religion and marrying him against her will.Given the severity of the offense and the accused’s continuous threats and blackmail, the court declined to grant bail, stating that charges were yet to be framed and the girl had yet to be examined. The decision reflects the court’s commitment to protecting victims and addressing the misuse of intimate content in cases of sexual abuse and exploitation.