Plea in SC to take up 'Boys Locker Room' scandal on judicial side

New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to take up the controversial ‘Boys Locker Room' Instagram chat group scandal, in which rapes were glorified and photos of underage girls were shared by the participants.

Leaked screenshots of the private Instagram chat group have stirred up a storm over rape culture in India after numerous boys were allegedly seen sharing photos of underage girls, objectifying them, and even planning "gang rapes".

The petition has been moved by advocate-on-record Anand Varma and advocates Kaustubh Prakash and Shubhangi Jain. It contends that while social media platforms have bridged the gap of communication, this scandal has proved that "it has become a platform of public harassment of women in particular."

The Instagram chat group by the name of ‘Boys Locker Room' was allegedly run by teenage boys from reputed Delhi schools. The group allegedly shared nude and morphed pictures of girls, and also threatened to release them online.

"Anonymity of the accounts has become an easy medium to threaten whoever you want to and indulge in cyberbullying. It is also an easy platform to be conspicuous and share objectionable, obscene and private pictures, chats, and other messages," said the plea.

The petitioners have urged the top court to take up the matter on the judicial side, as there may be some crucial challenging during its adjudication.

"We request that this horrific incident be taken up by the Supreme Court on the judicial side to address the multifarious issues arising therefrom. This incident raises the issue of not only the privacy, safety, and well-being of women, but also of sensitisation and counselling of juveniles who are engaging in such conduct," said the plea.

After registering a case under various sections of the IPC and the Information Technology (IT) Act, the cyber cell of Delhi Police on Tuesday detained a student of a prominent South Delhi school while 22 others identified in connection with the case have gone underground.

(IANS)