The dignity of a woman could not be left at the mercy of a fake profile. A morphed image was not a harmless digital prank; it was a calculated assault on privacy, reputation and emotional security. The law must move with the same speed with which the unlawful content travelled, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court said while directing Dindigul police to take necessary steps to remove/block such content.The court issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by a man from Dindigul district, who alleged that his sister’s photograph had been morphed, and obscene photographs and videos were created and circulated on social media platforms.He said some persons demanded money for deleting the morphed photographs and videos, and upon refusal, continued circulating them. He sought a direction to the police to take necessary action based on his complaint.Justice L. Victoria Gowri said in matters of this nature, the court could not treat the grievance as a mere private dispute. Online sexual humiliation, morphing, creation of fake profiles, threat of further circulation and demand for money for deletion of such content constituted a serious intrusion into bodily privacy, decisional dignity, reputation and protection of life under Article 21 of the Constitution.The court directed the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dindigul Rural, to conduct an immediate verification of the materials furnished by the petitioner. If the complaint disclosed commission of any cognisable offence, the officer should register an FIR forthwith under appropriate provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and proceed with the investigation.If the offending morphed/obscene content was found to be available online, necessary steps should be taken to remove/block it through competent authority. The Dindigul Superintendent of Police should monitor the progress made, the court said. Published - July 01, 2026 08:58 pm IST