Kochi: The Kochi City Cybercrime Police have registered a case against 16 social media account holders on charges of revealing the identity of the 17-year-old boy who drove the Mercedes-Benz involved in the fatal accident in Cheranalloor and subjecting him and his family to online abuse and threats. The case was registered following directions from the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.

The case has been registered against 10 Facebook account holders and six Instagram users. The police have also approached Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, seeking the removal of offending posts and preservation of digital evidence. Look Out Circulars (LOCs) are being planned against those suspected of operating from abroad, once their identities and addresses are verified.

A senior officer of the Kochi Cybercrime Police told Onmanorama that the FIR was registered on the court’s directions.

“It was registered following the court’s sanction and direction. It has been registered against 16 account holders, 10 on Facebook and six on Instagram. As we verify their addresses, we will collect the rest of the details,” said the officer.

Dismissing speculation that the posts originated primarily from anonymous or fake profiles, the officer said the accounts were largely operated by social media influencers.

Booked under JJ Act, BNS
The cyber police have invoked Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which prohibits the disclosure of the identity of children in conflict with the law or those involved in judicial proceedings.

Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), dealing with criminal intimidation, has also been invoked over alleged threats directed at the teenager and his family.

“Currently, it is registered under Section 74 of the JJ Act and Section 351 of BNS, because some of them contain direct threats intimidating the boy and his family,” the officer said.

The cyber police have written to Meta seeking the removal of the offending content and preservation of the associated electronic evidence.

“We have already written to Meta to remove the posts and to preserve the data. They will collect the electronic evidence and transmit it to us. Further procedural steps will be based on the reports received,” said the officer.

The police are also examining posts allegedly made by individuals operating from outside India. The officer said LOCs would be issued against such individuals after their identities and addresses were verified.

“Some individuals are operating from abroad. For such persons, once our data verification is finalised, we will issue Look Out Circulars (LOC). They will face trouble at airports upon arrival; immigration will intercept and arrest them, and further legal proceedings will follow,” the officer warned.

The action follows strong observations by the court over the circulation of the juvenile’s identity, photographs and other personal details on social media.

The court had reprimanded the investigation team and the prosecution, questioning how confidential case records and photographs of the minor had found their way into the public domain and what steps had been taken against those responsible for circulating them.

It reiterated that, irrespective of the seriousness of the allegations, the identity of a minor involved in judicial proceedings cannot be disclosed through any form of media or public platform.

The prosecution also came under criticism over a procedural lapse in an appeal petition seeking cancellation of the boy’s bail, in which his personal particulars had been included.

Following the court’s intervention, details of the offending social media posts and circulating photographs were placed before it. The court subsequently directed the cyber police to initiate prompt action and submit a report.