logo
Complain, bail, repeat: One incident every 50min, why is stalking not taken seriously?

Complain, bail, repeat: One incident every 50min, why is stalking not taken seriously?

Time of India2 days ago
Complain, bail, repeat: One incident every 50min, why is stalking not taken seriously?
Himanshi Dhawan
Updated: Aug 2, 2025, 18:35 IST IST
Statistics show there is one incident every 50 mins, but rarely is action taken until it turns violent
On the street, at the beach, in a cab, even at home… there's that gaze, that uneasy crawl under your skin, the sense of being watched. Nearly every Indian girl has her own stalking story, differing only in degree and intensity. Sometimes, it takes the form of street harassment; at other times, it is a creepy relentless presence on social media.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Prajwal verdict: Not hearsay! ‘Res Gestae' rest assured survivor's victory
Prajwal verdict: Not hearsay! ‘Res Gestae' rest assured survivor's victory

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Prajwal verdict: Not hearsay! ‘Res Gestae' rest assured survivor's victory

Bengaluru: Since witness accounts aren't easy to obtain in sexual-assault cases, courts are allowed to consider, juxtapose or string together disparate events, statements or actions under less-known, but important 'Res Gestae' doctrine. The special court that convicted Prajwal Revanna has deployed this legal reasoning under Sections 6 to 8 of the Indian Evidence Act. For the record, 'Res Gestae' is a Latin term meaning "things done". In legal context, it describes statements made spontaneously and contemporaneously with an event, considered reliable evidence because they are not the result of premeditation or fabrication. The court said the "law allows certain exceptions to the general bar on hearsay", citing Indian and English legal authorities. The court relied on Gentela Vijayavardhan Rao v State of AP (1996) to highlight that spontaneity and contemporaneous conduct or statements may fall within the ambit of this doctrine. In this context, it found admissible the behaviour of the survivor shortly after the incident and other related acts and statements. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru For instance, the court pointed to the testimony of prosecution witness 4, who noticed the survivor appearing distressed and muttering that "they cannot do anything" shortly after completing some work in the Basavanagudi house in Bengaluru. Though minor, the court said this was relevant because it reflected the survivor's mental state immediately after the incident. Further, prosecution witness 2, the survivor's son, testified that on the day of the 2024 parliamentary election, he heard the mother and his sister speak in hushed tones, saying they should not be caught by the police, and was asked to remain quiet. The court noted this was significant as the prosecution alleged the survivor was being hidden due to the circulation of obscene videos involving her and the accused. The court highlighted the accused's own statement under Section 313 of the CrPC, where he acknowledged filing a civil suit and obtaining a stay order against the publication of such videos. This, the court said, showed that the accused was aware of the circulation of the videos before the election and had taken legal steps accordingly. Importantly, during cross-examination of the survivor, the court noted the accused did not specifically claim the video content was morphed, but only suggested that the male in the video was not him. The court held that this conduct, seen through the lens of 'Res Gestae', amounted to a non-denial of the video's content. The court relied on the forensic evidence presented by prosecution witness 22, a scientific officer from the audio-video forensic section of the FSL in Bengaluru. He testified that the videos submitted for analysis showed no signs of editing or morphing. While acknowledging that their lab could not detect deepfakes with precision, the officer said frame analysis had not indicated any signs of tampering. Drawing all of this together, the court concluded that the survivor's post-incident conduct and the accused's actions before and during the trial were relevant and admissible under the 'Res Gestae' principle. These elements, the court said, helped establish the naturalness of the survivor's behaviour and lent credibility to her account.

Drones, Helicopters Part Of Major Anti-Terror Operation In Jammu And Kashmir's Kulgam
Drones, Helicopters Part Of Major Anti-Terror Operation In Jammu And Kashmir's Kulgam

NDTV

time2 hours ago

  • NDTV

Drones, Helicopters Part Of Major Anti-Terror Operation In Jammu And Kashmir's Kulgam

Srinagar: The security forces used drones and attack helicopters during a protracted anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. Amid heavy firing and occasional explosions, drones are seen dropping explosives on target areas in the thick alpine forests of Akhal. It's day four of the encounter between security forces and terrorists who appear to be well entrenched. Troops, including special forces or para-troopers of the Army, are treading cautiously as helicopters hover over the area and drones continue to hit suspected hideouts in the forests. The encounter started on Friday after the Army, police and CRPF launched a joint operation following a tip-off about the presence of a large group of terrorists in Akhal area. In the initial shootout, one local terrorist was killed. Subsequently, police said that one more terrorist was killed, but his body couldn't be recovered due to the ongoing fierce gun battle. Three soldiers have also been injured in the encounter. "So far, we have recovered the body of one terrorist. We have observed the body of another terrorist, but we will wait till the body is recovered. It's a difficult terrain and a dense forest area," said VK Birdi, IGP Kashmir. Police sources say there was information about the presence of five terrorists when the operation was launched. According to reports, at least two or three are foreign terrorists who appear to be well-trained in jungle warfare. There are very few local terrorists left in Kashmir and they are scarcely trained to face the security forces. According to Mr Birdi, firing is still going on and terrorists appear to be firing from two directions. This is the third encounter in the last week. Earlier, three terrorists, who were behind the Pahalgam massacre, were killed in a meticulously planned operation by the security forces. Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that the three were identified as Pakistani terrorists who had carried out brutal killings of 26 innocent people in Pahalgam on April 22. On Thursday, two more terrorists were killed near the line of control in Poonch. Police said that they had infiltrated from Pakistan and were intercepted soon after they entered the Indian side.

US woman slams influencer for mocking Indian accent in viral video
US woman slams influencer for mocking Indian accent in viral video

India Today

time3 hours ago

  • India Today

US woman slams influencer for mocking Indian accent in viral video

A social media influencer found herself at the receiving end of the internet after a woman of Indian origin called her out for mimicking the accent of an Indian woman who was arrested for shoplifting in the influencer had recreated the woman's interaction with US police - recorded on a bodycam - where she asked officers if she could pay for the items she was accused of stealing. But the mimicry didn't land well with Cassandra Jerome, an Indian-origin creator, who accused the US-based influencer of casual responded with a video of her own, posted on Instagram, where she expressed her discomfort with the trend of mocking accents, especially when used as the punchline. "I'm not going to sit here on a high horse and say stereotypes can't be funny," she said, adding, "I'm a human being. I have a pulse and a sense of humour. These things can be done tastefully."But her issue lay with how some jokes stripped context and relied solely on how people sounded. 'When people start dying over the Indian accent, I think that's hilarious. It just comes across as so uneducated to me,' she elaborated that while humour involving accents could work if done with intention and awareness, reducing someone's way of speaking to a joke only reflects poorly on the person making it."If the Indian accent is used in a joke that has some context and is done so well that it shocks me, it gets a laugh. But when the punchline is that we sound weird, I have learned something about you. All it tells me is that your worldview has not moved much past your nose. When does it stop being funny?" she also pointed out how common that very accent is, especially for people raised in India. 'Thousands of people around me had that accent. You're 'hehe-ing' and 'haha-ing' over something that's entirely normal to so many people. Expand your horizons and leave us alone. Please,' she the viral video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cassandra Jerome (@casjerome)The video prompted strong reactions from viewers online. Several users supported Jerome's stance and shared their own experiences of being mocked for their accents.'What's interesting is that there are so many variations of Indian accents, but people always go for that one exaggerated version,' said a user. Another user added, 'It's just CRAZY when people want high levels of respect for their culture but show such low respect for others.'advertisementA user shared a personal anecdote: 'I remember getting a ride from this girl in college—her Siri voice was set to an Indian accent. When someone asked why, she said it was funny. That never sat right with me.'One of the users pointed out the deeper irony in the influencer's actions: 'This is crazy because this Black woman has likely faced rejection in some Indian spaces too. And now, she's adding to the confusion and hate by mocking an accent. It has to stop somewhere.''Honestly, every accent is beautiful, Indian, French, Mexican, Chinese, African, Central American. If you're laughing at how someone talks, I think you're just uncultured,' said a user. Cassandra Jerome's video led to a wider conversation around humour, intent, and the need to move beyond lazy stereotypes.- Ends

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store