Journalist Rana Ayyub Files Complaint With Mumbai Cybercrime After Facing Harassment

Award-winning journalist Rana Ayyub filed a complaint at the cybercrime headquarters in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex on Friday, November 8, after she was harassed through phone calls by some suspected of sharing her number on the internet. In her post on X (formerly Twitter), Ayyub claimed that harassment calls have not yet stopped despite her written complaint to cybercrime and seeks action from Mumbai Police against culprits involved in the act.

Rana Ayyub claimed that she was targeted a X user with handle name ‘The Hindutva Knight,’ allegedly shared her personal phone number in a post and asked its followers to call her. The investigative journalist said that she was receiving a number of continuous calls, video calls and obscene messages throughout the night. 

I have filed a written complaint at the cybercrime headquarters in BKC. The phone calls and harassment have not stopped. Hope the @MumbaiPolice@CPMumbaiPolice acts on the complaint and walks the talk on women’s safety. Arrest the culprits pic.twitter.com/GJZwDkuvvM

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) November 8, 2024

"I have lived a nightmare. At around 1 am tonight, this right wing handle posted my number on twitter, asked his followers to text me. My phone did not stop ringing through the night. Video calls, obscene Whatsapp msgs. Hello @MumbaiPolice @NCWIndia, this was targeted harassment," Rana Ayyub claimed in a post on X, tagging Maharashtra cyber security and investigation, National Commission for Women.

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"I have an archived link to the tweet where people are posting their screenshots of their text msgs to this guy. I was woken up at 1 am and could not sleep the night. It has been a traumatic night for me and my family. This is doxxing, threatening in public," she further said in a tweet tagging X Support handle.

We're proud of @RanaAyyub's work as a journalist. This relentless intimidation has to stop #Indiahttps://t.co/GFC26AqXmZ

— Beh Lih Yi 馬麗怡 (@behlihyi) November 8, 2024

The head of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Asia Beh Lih Yi also reacted on the incidents and said, "We're proud of 
@RanaAyyub's work as a journalist. This relentless intimidation has to stop #India."