Kerala: The suicide of a 40-year-old man in Kerala’s Kozhikode district has triggered a nationwide debate on the dangers of social media vigilantism, the psychological impact of public shaming, and the fine line between calling out sexual misconduct and trial by social media. The case revolves around Deepak U, who allegedly took his own life after being accused of sexual harassment by social media influencer and former panchayat member Shimjitha Musthafa.
In a significant development, Kerala Police have registered a case against Shimjitha Musthafa under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with abetment to suicide. The case was filed following a complaint by the deceased man’s mother, Kanyaka, who alleged that her son was driven to suicide due to relentless public humiliation and online harassment following a viral video posted by Musthafa.
The incident has not only led to legal action but has also reopened conversations around false accusations, responsible use of social media, mental health awareness, and the irreversible consequences of online outrage.
The Incident on the KSRTC Bus
The controversy began on January 16, when Deepak U boarded a crowded Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Kozhikode. Shimjitha Musthafa was also a passenger on the bus. During the journey, Musthafa recorded a video alleging that Deepak had deliberately touched her inappropriately.
The video, later uploaded to social media, shows Deepak standing a short distance away from the woman, holding onto the upper part of a seat to maintain balance as the bus moved through traffic. In the initial frames, he appears positioned at a distance. In subsequent footage, however, Musthafa is seen standing closer to him, filming his elbow movements.
At one point, Deepak’s elbow appears to make contact with the woman’s chest. The video does not show any verbal exchange between the two, nor does it show Deepak reacting to the contact or acknowledging the camera. According to family members, Deepak was unaware that he was being recorded.
Following the video’s circulation, Musthafa released another video reiterating her claims and asserting that the contact was deliberate and constituted sexual harassment.
“This was not an accident or a misunderstanding. It was a clear violation of my sexual boundaries,” she said in her statement. She further claimed that Deepak acted under the assumption that he would face no consequences.
The allegations sparked immediate outrage online. Deepak was subjected to widespread criticism, trolling, and moral condemnation across platforms. Many social media users branded him a sexual predator, while others called for strict punishment without any formal investigation.
Deepak’s family later stated that he was deeply disturbed by the backlash. According to his mother, he repeatedly told relatives that the incident was accidental and that he had no malicious intent.
Suicide and Aftermath
On the morning of January 18, Deepak’s parents attempted to wake him but received no response. Neighbours were called in to help gain entry into his room. Deepak was found hanging.
His death sent shockwaves through the local community and triggered an abrupt reversal in online discourse. The same platforms that had earlier condemned him now began questioning the credibility of the allegations and the ethics of publicly naming and shaming an individual without legal recourse.
Deepak’s mother, in her complaint, said that her son “could not bear the humiliation” caused by the viral video and the accusations levelled against him. She maintained that he had never been accused of any misconduct in his life.
Case Against Musthafa for Abetment to Suicide
Following the complaint, the Kozhikode Medical College Police registered a case against Shimjitha Musthafa for abetment to suicide. Police have confirmed that her statement has been recorded and that further action will follow after preliminary investigation.
In parallel, the Kerala Human Rights Commission has ordered an independent probe into the incident, acknowledging the serious concerns raised about online vigilantism, mental trauma, and misuse of social media platforms.
Authorities are examining whether the public dissemination of the video, rather than reporting the incident to law enforcement, contributed directly to the mental distress that led to Deepak’s suicide.
Social Media Reacts
The tragedy has also given rise to a wave of satirical and dark-humour content online, reflecting men’s growing anxiety over false accusations in public spaces. Viral videos show men travelling in buses wearing cardboard boxes, holding sticks, or placing partitions between themselves and female passengers to avoid any accidental contact.
One widely circulated video showed a man wearing an oversized cardboard box labelled “Protection from false allegations.” Another clip showed a man holding rods on his shoulders to maintain distance. An AI-generated image of a man wearing multiple body cameras on a bus also gained traction.
While some dismissed these trends as insensitive, others viewed them as symbolic protests against what they described as the “weaponisation of social media.”
Legal experts and mental health professionals have warned that public shaming without due process can have devastating consequences. They argue that while genuine cases of sexual harassment must be taken seriously, accusations aired on social media without investigation risk destroying innocent lives.
Critics have also questioned why Musthafa chose to upload the video online instead of filing a police complaint if she was confident that a crime had occurred.
The incident has intensified calls for clearer guidelines on social media accountability, responsible content creation, and the need for legal literacy among influencers.
Who Is Shimjitha Musthafa?
Shimjitha Musthafa hails from Vatakara in Kozhikode district and later moved to Velleri after her marriage 16 years ago. She holds a postgraduate degree in commerce and a BEd qualification.
She has been politically associated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and contested the 2020 panchayat elections from the Velleri ward of Areekode Grama Panchayat, winning by a significant margin. Party leaders have described her as educated and articulate, with leadership potential.
However, her relationship with the IUML reportedly soured after she began posting social media content that did not conform to the party’s conservative expectations. She eventually resigned from her panchayat position.
In recent months, Musthafa had taken up social media influencing as a full-time career. Reports suggest that she is currently not traceable, though this has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
Source & Credit:
This article is based on information reported by OpIndia.
