A 27-year-old Indian man has been fined Dh3,000 after he was found guilty of insulting and defaming one of his female relatives on social media by posting her personal photograph alongside offensive remarks attacking her character.
According to court records, the woman was shocked when she discovered that the accused had uploaded her photograph on his social media account and published abusive comments targeting her reputation and personal conduct. Investigations revealed that the defendant also posted a photograph of her father and directed insulting and defamatory remarks at him in a similar manner.
The victim immediately reported the incident to the police and later told investigators and prosecutors that the posts caused her severe embarrassment and humiliation in front of family members and other people who viewed the content online, particularly because she is married to one of the accused’s relatives.
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She further stated that neither she nor her father had given the defendant permission to publish their photographs on social media.
Following the complaint, authorities initiated legal proceedings against the accused. Electronic evidence experts were assigned to examine the defendant’s social media account, where they recovered the posts linked to the case and documented the offensive material as part of the investigation file.
During questioning, the defendant denied responsibility for the posts and offered what the court later described as an unconvincing explanation. He claimed that the woman herself had taken his mobile phone, accessed his account using a password she allegedly knew, and published the insulting remarks and photographs on her own.
The court, however, rejected the defence after reviewing the evidence presented in the case, including the victim’s testimony before prosecutors and the findings contained in the forensic electronic evidence report.
The court concluded that the evidence clearly established the defendant’s involvement in the offence, but noted that the circumstances of the case warranted leniency.
It subsequently convicted the defendant and imposed a Dh3,000 fine.
Source: Khaleej Times