Pune: A young woman has approached the Hadapsar Police Station after alleging that a news channel used her photograph without her permission in a social media post about a viral marriage-related topic. She claimed that the use of her photograph led to offensive and vulgar comments from social media users.
The woman alleged that ABP Majha used her photograph on Facebook alongside a post about a viral social media discussion on marriage expectations. She said the photograph was used without her consent and without any verification of her identity or connection with the viral post. She has demanded strict legal action, alleging that the incident violated her privacy and caused her distress.
‘Very Disgusting Content’
Speaking on Wednesday night, the woman said a well-known media organisation had used her photograph for content that she described as “very disgusting”. She said she had been receiving extremely offensive comments after the post was shared on Facebook. According to her, the comments were still visible when she decided to approach the police.
“A well-known media outlet like ABP Majha used my photo. My photo was used for something very disgusting. I am receiving very bad comments. There are extremely terrible comments under that post. The post is still on Facebook. The comments are very bad. I am going to take strict action against them,” she said.
What Was The Post?
The controversy relates to a viral post about the expectations some people have while choosing a marriage partner. The original post was shared on X and later became popular on Instagram and other social media platforms. It listed several conditions for an “ideal husband” and triggered a debate online.
The post said the woman would marry only a man who was a virgin, earned at least Rs 2 lakh a month and was naturally good-looking. It also listed a height requirement of six feet. The other conditions included knowing how to cook, not drinking alcohol, not using social media and having no female friends.
The post further said the prospective husband should seek permission before going out and share his live location 24/7 whenever he goes outside. It also included a demand that he should take her on foreign trips. The post ended by asking where a man who met all these conditions could be found.
The post quickly drew reactions from social media users. Many users debated whether such expectations were realistic and whether it was possible to find a partner who met all the listed conditions. The discussion later spread to Instagram, where the post was also widely shared.
Woman Approached Police…
The identity of the woman whose photograph was originally used in connection with the viral post, however, became a separate issue. The woman who has now approached the Hadapsar Police Station said her photograph had been wrongly associated with the content. She alleged that the use of the photograph exposed her to comments that she found highly offensive.
The Free Press Journal checked the Facebook post referred to by the woman. The post was found to have existed earlier but appears to have been deleted from Facebook as of Thursday afternoon. The related article remains available. However, the photograph accompanying the article is different from the photograph that was earlier used in the Facebook post. It is not clear if, when or why the photograph was changed.
The original viral post can be traced to a post on X, which was later shared across other social media platforms. The issue of the photograph is separate from the claims made in the viral post itself.
The woman has sought police action over the alleged unauthorised use of her photograph. The matter is now with the Hadapsar Police Station, where further proceedings are expected.
The incident also highlights the risks of using photographs from social media for viral news stories without establishing the identity of the person shown in the image. In this case, the woman has alleged that the use of her photograph resulted in her being subjected to abusive comments over content with which she says she had no connection.
Further details about the complaint and any action taken by the police are awaited.
