Prajwal Revanna sex abuse row: SIT cautions public against storing video clips in phones

Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has cautioned the public against storing video clips related to the Hassan sex scandal on electronic devices as it could attract legal action. 

"Originator means a person who sends, generates, stores or transmits any electronic message or causes any electronic message to be sent, generated, stored or transmitted to any other person but does not include an intermediary,” the SIT said. 

“As per this definition, storing videos, images and audio clips also attracts criminal action under the law. So the public should be aware of this to avoid any storage or transmitting of such video, images and audio clips. Therefore, it is advised to the general public to delete the video/audio/photos of victims of sexual crimes from their devices to avoid legal action,” it said. 

On Sunday, the SIT cautioned the public against sharing video clips related to the incident on social media and WhatsApp. 

The SIT said that such an act was a punishable offence under Section 67A (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form) of the Information Technology (IT) Act and 228A(1) and 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The SIT also urged the public against sharing any details that reveal the identity of the survivors. “If necessary, action as per the law would be taken.”