Case involves a well-known private school and the dissemination of explicit photos of over 50 female students.
CHANDIGARH
Last year, on 17 September 2022, a female student from a private university near Chandigarh was caught in the act of secretly recording her fellow female students while they were taking shower. This disturbing incident led to widespread protests outside the private university in Mohali on the same night when allegedly “leaked objectionable videos” of 60 female students began circulating online. The student responsible for sharing these videos online was also apprehended.
Now, a similar incident has come to light involving a private school within Chandigarh, where many female students have had their photos manipulated using artificial intelligence and subsequently spread across social media platforms.
The Chandigarh police have initiated contact with Snapchat, a popular social media site, in connection with this distressing case involving a well-known private school and the dissemination of explicit photos of more than 50 female students. The police have requested information regarding the user IDs from Snapchat, and in response, Snapchat has sought clarification on the timeline for providing this information. The Chandigarh police may also conduct interviews with some of the affected students at the school.
One class 12 student from the same school has been mentioned in connection with this case, and the police have questioned her, though no arrests have been made thus far. The police intend to interview other students as part of their ongoing investigation. Students involved in this case have also alleged that these inappropriate photos were shared on the social media profiles of senior students at the school. In response to the severity of the case, a police team visited the school to interview the affected students, and they have successfully removed the offensive photos from social media.
Ten parents have come forward with information regarding this incident and have submitted a formal complaint with their signatures to the police. However, there are other parents who have not yet reported to the police. According to initial investigations, the photos of 120 students, comprising 56 girls and 64 boys, have been edited and circulated. Parents informed the school management about the incident on 9 October, and despite the sensitive nature of the issue, the school failed to report it to the police. Instead, students were instructed on 10 October not to inform their parents. It was only when one student, in tears, confided in her father that the full extent of the incident came to light.
The school’s principal has denied allegations of photos being sourced from the school’s website. SSP Kanwardeep Kaur of Chandigarh said the police have learned that the photos of 10 students from the private school were obtained from school records, altered, and subsequently shared on social media using fake IDs. Senior students are currently being interrogated in connection with this case.
Shipra Bansal, Chairperson of the CCPCR, said, “First, we have requested reports from the school and police station concerned. Second, our team visited the school. The school is cooperating. As soon as the complaint was filed, the police department registered an FIR.”