Freedom of speech and expression, if used without restraint and caution, could land people in deep trouble. It is not just hate speech, indecent remarks and derogatory comments on women too could cause serious problem to the offenders.

A group of five youth (T. Bala Subramanyam, Krihna Mohan, Chi Pavan Kumar, Yoge Pavan, and Parasuramudu) have learned this hard way in Hyderabad. Lewd comments on girls and women on Facebook have landed them in a police case.

A team of 20 Internet activists have filed a case here against the youth who they alleged have been consistently making derogatory, sexist and indecent comments on women.

The team had finalised a draft yesterday and met the Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma, asking him to take action against the five.

It all began when some women members found the indecent remarks in a thread of discussion on girls and women a few days ago. Some of the offenders put a brave face even after the activists objected to the comments.

The posts on the discussion board, which is open to public, derogatively talk about school-going girls that even 8th grade girls are promiscuous and long for sex. They also discussed certain acts by young women who shun morals to get success in academics.

“With the protests getting strength, they were pleading not to go ahead with the case. They have deactivated their FB accounts,” C. Vanaja, one of the signatories of the complaint, told Business Line.

“They resorted to obscene and indecent representation of women. It is hate speech against the entire community of young girls and women. It is being spread through social media. It is a gross misuse of social media and Internet to spread poisonous ideas about young girls and women,” it said.

Padmaja Shaw (journalism professor), Roopa Vani Koneru, Suresh Chandra, Manga Reddy, Lokanath Kovuru and Manjari Kadiyala also signed the complaint.

>kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in