How Trolling Led A Woman In Andhra Pradesh To Die By Suicide

Another case of alleged online harassment led to the loss of life of yet another person in Andhra Pradesh. A homemaker in Andhra Pradesh died by suicide due to online trolling for her social media post supporting CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy from the YSRCP government. The family alleges the woman was traumatised seeing negativity online. Her family has accused workers of opposition parties Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena of trolling her on social media for praising the state government led by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Woman Dies By Suicide Due To Trolling

According to the police, Gitanjali, a homemaker from Tenali in Guntur district, was found injured near the Tenali Railway Station on March 7. She succumbed to her injuries on Monday. The family claims that Gitanjali was subjected to vicious online attacks after she expressed her support for the YSRCP government in an interview on YouTube.

According to an official statement by the Chief Minister's office of the state, Chief Minister Reddy expressed shock over the incident and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 20 lakh to Gitanjali's family. The Guntur district Superintendent of Police, Tushar Dudi, informed that they have identified several social media profiles believed to be involved in the trolling and are investigating the matter further. A case has been registered under IPC 306.

Meanwhile, the YSRCP party members and several ministers alleged that TDP supporters online were responsible for Geenatjali's death. 

The allegations against opposition party workers highlight the politicisation of social media in India. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook often become battlegrounds for mudslinging, with anonymity emboldening trolls to spew vitriol. Social media companies, however, cannot absolve themselves of responsibility. They must implement stricter content moderation policies and develop effective mechanisms to identify and remove abusive content.

Gitanjali's death serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of unchecked online harassment. Social media platforms, the government, and society at large must work together to create a safer online environment. Can we afford to wait for another life to be lost before taking concrete action?