When even an advocate who defends the rights of others every day ends up “completely helpless”, it lays bare crucial failures in laws and procedures meant to ensure women’s safety.
In July, a Chennai-based lawyer approached the Madras High Court after her former partner had secretly filmed their intimate moments during a relationship built on false promises of marriage. Without her knowledge or consent, he uploaded these videos across the internet.
These events formed the basis of the case X vs Union of India.
By the time a friend told her about the videos, the damage was widespread. The videos were on more than 70 platforms: pornographic sites, Twitter or X, Telegram channels, Google Drive links. The videos kept spreading with shifting URLs, multiple accounts and relentless re-uploads.
She took every step required. A first information report was registered on April 1. She made formal representations to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in June, asking for removal under Section 67A of the IT Act. Still, by July, nothing moved. The videos kept circulating. As a lawyer, she found herself publicly and professionally shamed.
Reflecting upon the slow pace of action in this and other such cases, Justice N Anand Venkatesh noted that “the right to…
