A jolly la since her terrible twos, Pakiza was now a grown up adult. She came from a naive but well cultured household fathoms away from worldly filth and vice. After finishing her school, she left for another city to pursue a career for her. Adieus, tears of her mother resonated with hopes, prayers from her father. Soon she was out of their sights amidst a new realm with new faces, folkways as well as new avenues.
A keen and determined Pakiza would receive attention- both coherent as well as deceptive. Nonetheless, things were no explicit for her after she met Jameel (in Arabic- ‘beautiful’).Days went on and she grew more and more fond of him. She would perceive him as her most trustworthy person- so much so that she wouldn’t give a second thought prior to submissing before him.
She would adorn the garden of her dreams by flowers of a new fairytale love, which had blossomed between the two. She would daydream of a prosperous future with him, giving her butterflies and had already conferred herself to Jameel emotionally and physically. A well-brought and dearly cradled Pakiza wouldn’t get bothered by getting filmed during intimate moments by Jameel. With him, her mind would barely prospect even a glitch of her parents’ faces; who back home would pray for her safety every now and then. Little did she know that this Jameel was the ugliest concealing his plans behind a massive, dark canvas.
The spell of honey trap didn’t last long as the shades of betrayal gradually began to unfold before her. The ugly monster Jameel started threatening her- demanding hefty amount of money, failing which he would leak the filmed content. All this was hurled at her like a bolt from blue.
Pakiza- now brutally forsaken, emotionally exploited and physically wringed out- couldn’t have even in her wildest dreams thought that her modesty would be commercialized via her Jameel to hundreds of Jameels over there. Her heart would swell with a vague grief when the still picture of her mother’s adieu would flash across her mind. Her days got engulfed by grim and nights clawed under helplessness.
She boxed up the pain within her, fighting her inner battles. She would silently endure the havoc inflicted at her, along with the constant apprehension of getting judged by her nears and dears. She would suffer in solitude, wrestling with anxiety and shame, afraid to reach out for fear of being condemned and shamed. But, despite facing the brunt all alone, the brave Pakiza even during blues was determined to reclaim her dignity.
Eventually, Jameel with no remorse broke up the ice and shared the content; tucking final nail into the coffin of Pakizais modesty, trust and her future. She was shattered-no phrases or cajoles would abate the pain in her heart or the shock in her brain. Jameel got away with not a single speck of regret leaving onto her lifelong blots which couldn’t be washed even by her warm serpent tears.
Deception in Numbers
Latest data published by NCRB in 2023 claimed that, cyber crimes against women saw a considerable rise in 2022 compared to 2021. There has been 11% rise in the number of cyber crimes against women in 2022. Incidents where sexually explicit material of women were published or transmitted stood at 2,251 compared to 1,896 in 2021. At the same time, other cyber crimes targeting women, such as blackmail, defamation, morphing, creating fake profiles, etc., stood at 689 in 2022 and 701 in 2021. The NCRB report for 2022 reveals that J&K registered 54 cases of cyber-crimes against women.
According to the official data accessed by the BehanBox (Voice of Sisters) from the cyber police station, Kashmir, in 2020, the department received 150 complaints from women between the age group 18-30. The data reveals that four of these 150 cases were serious crimes in which the first inquiry report was lodged against the accused. As per the data, the cyber police, on an average, received 2 to 3 cases in a day.
Legal Recourse
The legal system has approved a variety of legislation to address cybercrime against women. The Information Technology Act of 2000 also has provisions for punishment for cyber crime against women under the following sections:
- Section 66C- identify cyber hacking is a punishable offense with imprisonment of 3 years and fines of Rs. 1 lakh.
- Section 66E- Deals with the offense of capturing, publishing, or sending pictures of women in circumstances that violate privacy. This causes imprisonment of 3 years.
- Section 67A- Makes it illegal to publish and transmit sexually explicit content and is punishable with imprisonment of up to 5 to 7 years.
Rise and Report
There are thousands of Pakizas around; unaware of the cunning and merciless Jameels. No Pakiza deserves to get trampled and no Jameel deserves be left unpunished. Report at the earliest before it gets too late- the shackles of law won’t let any Jameel roam freely.
In a bold move to enhance cyberspace safety and accountability, the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 now require intermediaries to prevent users from hosting, uploading, or sharing content that is “obscene,” invades privacy, or harasses based on gender. These rules also target revenge porn by mandating the removal of offending content within 24 hours of a complaint.
The government’s “Cybercrime Prevention against Women and Children” (CCPWC) scheme focuses on raising awareness about online gender-based violence, training law enforcement, and boosting cyber forensic skills.
Tech giants are stepping up too. Meta’s launch of StopNCll.org in India, in collaboration with Indian Civil Society Organizations, is a groundbreaking effort to stop the spread of non-consensual intimate images (NCII). Additionally, Meta has rolled out the Women’s Safety Hub in multiple Indian languages, equipping women with the tools and resources to stay safe online.
And so, the tale of Pakiza concludes in the shadows of betrayal and sorrow. The city that had once promised her a future now stood silent, echoing her heartbreak. The vibrant dreams she had carried with her were crushed under the weight of Jameel’s betrayal. Each step she had taken toward a new life was now marked by the shadows of deceit and exploitation.
But let her tragic fall be a clarion call for us all. As the poet Rumi said, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” From her suffering, let us draw the strength to act. As the final curtain fell on Pakiza’s tragic tale, the city that had witnessed her heartache now stood poised on the edge of transformation. We must rise to protect the vulnerable, confront the deceivers, and ensure that justice does not remain a distant dream but a living reality.
(The author is a graduate student exploring society’s fabric through a Master’s in Sociology)
