NCW asks Delhi cops to probe ‘harassment’ of Barkha

New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday asked the Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik to initiate “speedy investigation” into the alleged harassment of journalist Barkha Dutt on social media.

In the letter to the police chief, the commission said it has come across media reports about Dutt's allegation that she had received threat calls and had been harassed on social media after she offered to help Kashmiris who were being targeted. Dutt had also tweeted to Delhi Police apprising them of the matter, the letter said. 

“It is requested to initiate speedy investigation in the matter and take action as per the law," the letter added. 

Dutt tweeted thanking the commission for taking up the matter with the Delhi Police. “Thank you #NCW and Rekha Sharma for raising this with Delhi Police. I await the response of @DelhiPolice - I have filed my formal complaint with them yesterday (sic),” she posted on the micro-blogging site. 

“I had close to 1000 abusive messages and calls in a coordinated and violent mob attack. These included a message to shoot me, a nude photo, many sexually abusive messages. I outed the men who did this. Twitter locked me till many of the details were taken down (sic),” she tweeted. 

Dutt sought to help Kashmiris living outside the state after reports said that they were being targeted in the wake of the recent Pulwama attacks, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed after a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus.