The rise of digital technology has created new avenues for criminal activities, known as computer crimes or cybercrimes. These include hacking, online fraud, identity theft, and data breaches. In response, governments and legal bodies have introduced strict penalties to curb such offenses.
Central to these investigations is digital forensics, which focuses on collecting and analysing digital evidence to be used in court. The process includes five key stages: acquisition, preservation, analysis, reconstruction, and presentation. The goal is to ensure that digital traces can help establish the truth and identify those responsible. Digital forensics involves specialized techniques like data recovery, file identification, encryption/decryption, and IP tracing. Using real-life case examples, here is how the digital evidence is collected, preserved, and presented during investigations.
In an era where a smartphone is more common than a diary, and emotions are shared through stories and status, a dangerous new threat has emerged – cyberbullying. It is silent, borderless, and often anonymous, leaving deep emotional scars while hiding behind digital screens. As India becomes increasingly digitized, cyberbullying is growing into a national crisis that demands urgent legal, social, and technological attention.
At just 16, Meera Sharma from Pune had reason to celebrate she had topped her Class 10 board exams. In a simple act of joy, she posted a selfie with the caption, “Hard work pays off.” What followed was a digital nightmare.
Within days, a fake Instagram profile in her name began posting vulgar captions and altered images. Her classmates mocked her, online strangers sent threatening messages, and her reputation crumbled in a matter of hours. Meera fell into a spiral of anxiety, skipping meals and avoiding school. The emotional pain escalated to the point where she searched online for ways to “end the suffering.”
It was only when her younger brother found the messages on her phone that the truth came to light. Her parents reported the case to the cybercrime cell, triggering a full digital forensics investigation. Tracing the IP address and examining digital logs, investigators found the culprit a jealous classmate using the school’s computer lab.
The account was removed, the offender was disciplined, and Meera eventually recovered with therapy. Today, she speaks publicly about her experience, advocating for stronger laws and digital empathy.
Cyberbullying includes online harassment, defamation, threats, stalking, identity theft, and the non-consensual sharing of personal content. It can occur through social media, messaging apps, emails, gaming platforms, or online forums. Victims often minors face psychological trauma, depression, social withdrawal, and in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts.
When cybercrimes occur, digital forensics becomes the backbone of investigation. The process includes acquisition securing digital data without altering its integrity; preservation safeguarding evidence from being lost or tampered with; analysis studying metadata, deleted files, IP logs, chat history, and more; reconstruction rebuilding timelines to identify the sequence of events; and presentation preparing admissible evidence for court proceedings. Tools such as IP tracing, metadata analysis, file recovery, and device mirroring are used to gather actionable evidence.
Recent alarming incidents show the stakes are very real. In Uttar Pradesh, cyberbullying among minors surged in 2024, with one reported case every eight minutes, largely due to social media misuse and lack of monitoring. A well-known public figure faced brutal online abuse during a widely publicized personal scandal, receiving hundreds of threatening messages.
At a major university, social media trolling escalated into physical confrontations, leading to formal harassment complaints. Following the tragic murder of an influencer in Punjab, over 550 offensive posts were removed in May alone by authorities combating online moral policing. In Jaipur, a cyber support centre was recently launched, offering legal, psychological, and technical help to victims handling up to 15 cases a day.
India currently lacks a standalone cyberbullying law. However, several legal provisions can be applied. The Information Technology Act, 2000, includes Section 66E addressing privacy violations, Section 66D on online impersonation, and Section 67 punishing obscene content. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) covers Section 354D on cyberstalking, Sections 499–500 on defamation, and Section 506 on criminal intimidation. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the replacement for the IPC, introduces enhanced provisions for online harassment and image-based abuse.
Despite these laws, enforcement remains weak. Victims often face delays, victim-blaming, or a lack of digital expertise in law enforcement agencies. Anonymous accounts and cross-border servers make prosecution more difficult.
To effectively combat cyberbullying, a holistic approach is needed. India requires stronger legal reform, including a dedicated cyberbullying law with clear definitions and penalties, along with fast-track cybercrime courts and improved digital training for police. Education and awareness efforts are vital, such as introducing digital ethics and cyber safety into school curricula, encouraging parental monitoring, and launching media literacy campaigns. Victims should be encouraged to use India’s national cybercrime portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and the complaint mechanisms of social media platforms, while helplines like 1098 (Childline) and the NCPCR complaint system offer additional support. Mental health support is essential to address cyber trauma, and schools and colleges should provide trained counsellors. Platforms must take responsibility too; under the 2023 IT Rules, digital companies are required to act swiftly on abuse complaints and maintain transparent takedown procedures.
Cyberbullying is not harmless. It is not a joke. And it is not just “online.” Behind every screen is a real person often a child hurting, hiding, and afraid to speak out. The story of Meera is a story of thousands across India. We must commit to legislative clarity, swift technical and legal responses, education, mental health support, and platform accountability. Only through a holistic, legal-social-technical response can digital spaces become safe havens rather than battlegrounds, preventing future tragedies.
Cyberbullying is more than just an online nuisance, it is a serious violation of human dignity that can have devastating real-world consequences. As India hurtles toward greater digital connectivity, we must recognize that our laws, institutions, and communities need to evolve just as rapidly. Protecting vulnerable individuals, especially children and teenagers, requires clear legislation, prompt legal action, widespread education, and accessible mental health support. Equally important is the accountability of digital platforms in ensuring safe online environments. Only through a united and comprehensive approach, we can hope to turn the tide against cyberbullying and create a digital world where everyone can participate without fear, shame, or pain.
(The writer is a law professional. Views expressed in above article are his own)
–IANS
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