Trichy SP Alleges Harassment By NTK Cadres, Criticizes Social Media Platforms

Tamil Nadu’s Trichy Superintendent of Police (SP), Varun Kumar, has raised serious allegations against cadres of the pro-Tamil party Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), accusing them of orchestrating a targeted campaign of online harassment against him and his family. The harassment included sharing morphed images of his wife, also an SP, and their children.

Speaking at an event, Kumar highlighted his frustration over the lack of cooperation from social media platforms during the investigation into the cyberattacks.

“To shed light on the issue, a person tweeted false claims about murders along with a video. We traced the individual to NTK, a Tamil nationalist group with global connections and elements reminiscent of the banned LTTE. When arrests are made, they retaliate by launching attacks,” Kumar said.

Despite being transferred to another district, the harassment persisted. Kumar detailed how his wife and children were targeted, with photos of his wife morphed and shared online, alongside images of their children. "It was an open assault on two SPs," he remarked.

Kumar revealed that while two FIRs were filed and government support was extended, social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) failed to respond, even after three months.

Taking the matter to court, Kumar sought directives to identify those responsible for the posts and to remove the offensive content. “I escalated the issue to the highest level and approached the High Court to demand action. Offensive images of my wife, children, and me are still online,” he stated, adding that the experience pushed him and his wife to leave the platform.

The case underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement officers in tackling online harassment and holding social media platforms accountable.