In its order, the bench comprising Justices Anand Venkatesh and KK Ramakrishnan included an advisory in English, Hindi and Tamil, warning women that sharing intimate material digitally could result in irreversible consequences.

The court also expressed regret over its inability to translate it into all regional languages.

The court urged young girls and women never to share intimate photographs or videos through electronic means, regardless of the level of trust or affection involved.

For, once the material leaves their control, it can be misused, causing irreversible harm to their privacy, dignity, and mental well-being, it said, and observed that prevention was better than seeking legal redress after such trust was betrayed.

In the digital era, some individuals exploit the trust and emotional vulnerability of young women through deceit and false promises to obtain intimate photos and videos, which are later used for blackmail, exploitation, and humiliation.

Every young woman to exercise utmost caution in safeguarding her privacy and dignity in the digital age, the judges said.

According to the prosecution, Suji alias Kasi created multiple fake identities on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms to befriend educated women by portraying himself as a caring and trustworthy person. After gaining their confidence and obtaining their contact details, he met them in person, developed intimate relationships, and recorded intimate photos and videos, including screenshots from private video calls.

He later demanded money from the women on various pretexts and, when they refused or cut off contact, he blackmailed them by threatening to publish their intimate photos and videos on social media. The case came to light after one of the women lodged a complaint with the Nagercoil All Women Police Station. Following his arrest, six cases against Kasi were transferred to the CB-CID in May 2020.