Social media crimes, including hate messages, threats, up 21% in Bengaluru: Report
Bengaluru: Crimes on social media, including sending hate messages, issuing threats, and spreading content that disturbs communal harmony, are on the rise in Bengaluru, according to recent data.
In the first nine months of 2025 alone, police registered 953 cases — a 21% rise from 2024 and a 51% increase over 2023, according to data cited by Deccan Herald on Monday.
In response to the growing threat, police have taken down over 300 such posts and blocked more than 50 social media accounts this year.
Senior police officials said the department is closely monitoring social media posts that could harm social order and is registering cases to curb such behaviour.
“Our officials keep a close watch and even register suo motu cases against people who post content that could disturb the society. Immediate action is also taken against derogatory posts and posts that disturb communal harmony,” DH quoted M.A. Saleem, Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP), as saying.
Officials raised concern over the growing number of young victims. A senior officer said many youngsters feel pressured to perform on social media, often interacting with strangers, which sometimes leads to fraud or exploitation. "Young people want to get more likes, more followers and in the process interact with unknown people and get conned,” the officer said, urging youth to be more cautious online.
The misuse of photos, especially those shared by young women, was also flagged as a growing problem. In several cases, such images have been exploited, leading to blackmail, with victims being forced to pay money to have the content removed from the internet.
Despite the increasing number of such crimes, investigating them remains a major challenge for the police. Officials said collecting strong evidence and tracking anonymous accounts is often difficult.
Adding to the problem, many social media platforms are slow to respond to police requests. “Most of the handles are anonymous. Then we will have to get in touch with the social media platforms and service providers. These companies are not very responsive and this delays the whole process,” DH quoted a senior officer as saying.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
