Woman SP body shamed on internet, disables comment section; outrage surges on safety of ordinary citizens

The pool of derogatory remarks on the post compelled the department to disable the comment section to prevent further uninvited remarks.

In a disturbing incident, the superintendent of Mirzapur district faced body shaming and digital harassment after a video featuring her, showcasing the arrest of a criminal was posted by the department on their social media handle.

The pool of derogatory remarks on the post compelled the department to disable the comment section to prevent further uninvited opinions.

This has raised concerns around the digital safety of the women in the country if the female police personnel are unsafe.

As per the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), over 76,650 cases of cybercrimes against women were recorded in 2025, with an increase of 28,322 cases from 2024.

Kaushik was going about her day and shared an arrest of a criminal who was charged with stealing a motorcycle. Rather than appreciating her success, the audience mostly commented on the physical appearance of the police personnel. 

About over 2000 comments flooded the post featuring the officer, with most remarks around her physical appearance and others obscene. 

“The case seems to be huge,” said a troller whose comment invited around 900 likes from random viewers.

The incident has sparked a broader debate on cyberbullying, sexism and accountability on social media. 

Many netizens raised the doubt that if a senior police officer is subjected to this casual sexism, women without power must be helpless. 

Aparna Kaushik is a 2018-batch officer of the Indian Police service, notable for holding several key positions in Uttar Pradesh.

The 2024 report of the United Nations Secretary-General shows growing backlash against women’s rights, rapid rise of the artificial intelligence and a growing normalcy around an ecosystem that encourages misogynistic content to seep into mainstream media, shaping public attitudes towards women.

Many women in the country face digital abuse, trolling, deep fakes and stalking on a regular basis, with some women reported to have received nudes from unknown followers.

How to protect oneself from digital abuse?

With increasing cases of cyber harassment, it is important to practice some safe internet practices as follows:

• Cover your webcam when not in use.

• Be selective about accepting friend requests from strangers on social media.

• Block people who are making us uncomfortable.

• Logout of websites after using them.

• Disable location services from social media outlets.

• Refrain from sharing personal information online.

• Report abusive content on the internet.