Stricter penalty for cyber crime

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Shouldn’t a punishment be awarded, not only with the aim of reforming the culprit, but also to make it serve as a deterrent for others? And more so when the case in question pertains to cyber security.
Recently, the Delhi high court imposed a fine of `20,000 on a man for posting on a social networking site “objectionable” photographs and the telephone number of a woman who had studied along with him in the school.
The court imposed the fine while quashing a criminal case registered against the man under the Information Technology Act (ITA).
While the victim and the accused in this case may have reached an out-of-court settlement to avoid legal tangles and negative publicity, many argue that a stringent punishment should be awarded in cyber crime cases since with widespread usage of social networking sites there is a fear of cyber harassment, and exemplary punishments can serve as deterrents.
“Unfortunately, even today when social networking has become a part and parcel of our loves, many don’t think of cyber harassment as a serious crime,” says Niti Prasad, 24, a Delhi-based professional, who talks about her friend who’s facing cyber stalking.
“My friend’s ex-boyfriend is subjecting her to much harassment. But she declined my suggestion of lodging a complaint, arguing that the laws are too lenient and she doesn’t want to cause further animosity,” says Niti, adding that stringent punishments in case of cyber crimes will make victims approach legal authorities for help.
Media professional, Beny Sachdeva, 24, who calls herself a Facebook junkie, agrees that often a person indulging in cyber mischief isn’t aware of the legal repercussion his acts may have on him or the victim. “By posting ‘objectionable’ content on a networking site, you are actually making it public to the entire cyber sphere, in turn maligning the victim’s reputation. Imposing a fine on the perpetrator isn’t a fair penalty for the same, certainly won’t instill fear in the minds of other wrongdoers,” she adds.
According to cyber law expert, Pavan Duggal, in spite of the presence of stringent laws and a clear ITA, there is a need for awareness when it comes to taking stringent action against cyber crimes.