Actor-turned-politician Ramya filed a police complaint against 43 social media accounts on Monday for allegedly issuing rape and death threats to her after she highlighted a Supreme Court order that pulled up the Karnataka High Court over its bail order for Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa in a murder case.
Speaking to reporters after filing the complaint with Seemanth Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru,
Ramya said she had come under attack from Darshan’s fans. “As a celebrity, I am used to trolling. But I had never faced trolling to such an extent. I felt that there was no difference between (the messages sent by) Renukaswamy and these trolls,” she said, referring to the man who was murdered last year after he allegedly sent derogatory messages to Darshan’s friend Pavithra Gowda.
Darshan was arrested along with Pavithra Gowda and others in the murder case.
Ramya said the commissioner had informed her that he would forward the complaint to the cyber crime cell.
Ramya, a former Sandalwood star, was elected MP from the Mandya constituency on a Congress ticket for a brief period following her win in a 2013 bypoll.
“I hope that this (complaint) sends a message to society. Many women have died by suicide due to such online harassment,” she said, adding that she had filed the complaint on behalf of women.
Ramya was subjected to vicious online trolling following her post on the Supreme Court remarks about the high court order. The apex court observed that the high court was “panting for reasons” to release the murder-accused actor on bail.
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Also on Monday, the Karnataka State Commission for Women wrote to the Bengaluru police to act against the social media handles making misogynistic comments about Ramya, apart from issuing rape and death threats to the actor-turned-politician. Film Industry for Rights and Equality also put out a statement seeking action against the “vulgar and misogynistic social media abuse targeting the actor and former MP”.