Sri Vijaya Puram, October 5: The Cyber Crime Police Station of the Andaman and Nicobar Police has detected several cases in which another person’s name and identity were allegedly used to submit false grievances through the Lieutenant Governor’s Helpdesk Grievance Portal, prompting police cases under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The issue surfaced after an individual found that a grievance had been submitted to a public authority in his name or using his identity, or that of his organisation, without his knowledge, consent or authorisation. The individual subsequently approached the Cyber Crime Police Station, following which an FIR was registered under the applicable provisions of the BNS, 2023.
The cases have highlighted the misuse of personal identity details in online grievance submissions, where complaints can be filed using another person’s name, mobile number, email ID or other identifying information without authorisation.
Authorities have advised citizens not to use another person’s personal or identity details while submitting online complaints or grievances. They have also cautioned against creating or filing fabricated complaints or impersonating others through government portals or social media platforms.
Citizens who receive or discover a complaint filed in their name have been advised to first verify its authenticity and report suspected impersonation or identity misuse promptly to the concerned authority or the Cyber Crime Police Station.
Those reporting such incidents should retain relevant digital material, including screenshots, complaint identification numbers, emails, messages and other evidence connected with the suspected misuse. Such records can assist authorities when examining the complaint and the circumstances in which it was submitted.
The police have also urged users of online grievance systems to rely on official mechanisms responsibly and ensure that complaints contain genuine and factually correct information.
Citizens have separately been advised to remain alert to online fraud. In cases involving cyber financial fraud, they can immediately contact the National Cybercrime Helpline at 1930 or the Cyber Crime Police Station helpline numbers 03192-230668 and 9531856083.
Complaints can also be filed through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portals. The advisory comes as authorities flag the need for caution when personal information is used in digital platforms and online public grievance systems.
