Why this matters, beyond the headlines

Sudha Murthy is not only a public figure; she represents a generation of citizens who embody public service, compassion and moral authority. When someone targets such a person with obscene threats, it’s not only an attack on an individual — it is a social signal that technology can be weaponized to intimidate, shame, and silence.

A few threads stood out to me as I reflected on the incident:

The method: anonymous calls and the threat of explicit material. Whether the threat is real or an empty menace, its purpose is the same — to coerce fear and humiliation.
The impersonation angle: as reported, callers sometimes pose as telecom officials or other authority figures to extract information or sow panic. That social-engineering touch raises the stakes.
The target profile: older public figures, women, and socially prominent personalities are often uniquely vulnerable because of trust, public exposure, or the anxiety such threats generate among admirers and family.

What this moment asks of us

I don’t believe we should treat this as merely another news item. It invites a sober look at responsibilities shared across society:

Law enforcement must move quickly and visibly. Filing an FIR is the first, necessary step. Speedy forensic tracing of calls, cooperation across telecom providers, and transparent updates reassure the public that threats will not remain anonymous forever.
Telecom operators and platform providers must make impersonation harder. Caller-ID authentication, mandatory call-origin verification, and stronger SIM-issuance safeguards reduce the effectiveness of scams that begin with a “we are from telecom” lie.
Platforms that host content or messaging must sharpen takedown procedures for intimate or fabricated material and invest in robust, explainable AI to detect deepfakes and malicious uploads.
Public figures and ordinary citizens need practical guidance and rapid help-lines: how to preserve evidence, whom to contact, and how to protect personal data.

Practical measures I keep returning to

I anchor my thoughts in actions that are realistic and scalable:

Telecom policy: mandatory multi-factor identity checks for SIM allocation and easy processes to flag and freeze suspicious numbers.
Technology: standardized call-authentication frameworks (similar to email DMARC) so calls can be validated as genuine or flagged as spoofed.
Rapid response: a joint telecom–police digital response cell in every large district to trace calls, collect metadata and speed investigations.
Awareness: regular public campaigns — not alarmist but practical — teaching citizens how to verify calls, avoid sharing sensitive details, and document harassment without deleting messages.

A social challenge, not only a technical one

We must also remember this is about culture. Threats of obscene videos leverage shame as a weapon. Combating them requires empathy, legal deterrence and community norms that refuse to blame victims. Public figures such as Sudha Murthy have influence — but their visibility also makes them targets. Our system must ensure visibility does not translate into vulnerability.

A final reflection

Reading those reports I remembered how often technology presents both opportunity and peril. We are living in a time when a voice on a line can destabilize reputation and safety in moments. That is why every technological advance—from better caller authentication to AI deepfake detection—must be matched by equally vigorous social and legal safeguards.

I appreciate that an FIR has been lodged and a probe is underway. That is the right start. Now the work must be to ensure the tools that empower us do not become tools of intimidation — and that when they are used as such, our institutions respond with speed, clarity and force.

Regards,
Hemen Parekh

Monday, 22 September 2025