Madurai: Confirming the order of the trial court in Nagercoil which convicted and sentenced Kasi alias Suji to undergo life imprisonment in the case pertaining to sexual exploitation and extortion of money from several women in Kanyakumari district in 2020, Madras high court on Tuesday appealed to youngsters and their families to exercise utmost caution while entering into online or technologically facilitated relationships.A division bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh and Justice K K Ramakrishnan observed that the case presents a classic illustration of rape by deception, rape by fraud, sexual extortion, and what is commonly described as ‘romance fraud’. In the present era of rapid technological advancement and widespread use of social media platforms, courts are increasingly confronted with offences involving online luring, emotional manipulation, sexual exploitation, and cyber-enabled blackmail.The judges observed that awareness, vigilance and timely reporting of such offences are indispensable to prevent victimisation. “The court considers it appropriate to make a humble but earnest appeal to all young girls and women. No matter how deep the affection, trust, or promise of confidentiality may appear, intimate photographs or videos should never be shared with anyone through electronic means. Once such material leaves one’s exclusive control, it can easily be misused, leading to irreversible consequences for the victim’s privacy, dignity, and mental well-being,” the judges said.In a postscript to the judgment authored by Justice Ramakrishnan, Justice Anand Venkatesh observed that for generations, judges and lawyers evaluated evidence through a traditional, language-based process. The judge observed that the digital era has shattered that protective wall. “We are no longer asked merely to evaluate descriptions, we are now compelled to watch the violence itself. In this case, a lady investigating officer had to sit through nearly sixty files of hardcore, perverted material to locate the single item relevant to the victim,” the judge said.
