The Karnataka Police have issued comprehensive guidelines directing all police officers across the state to compulsorily register FIRs in cases involving the non-consensual publication or circulation of private and intimate photographs or videos.
The directive, issued through Standing Order dated June 15, 2026, comes amid concerns that some police stations were either refusing to register complaints or delaying action in cases involving revenge pornography, sextortion, blackmail, and the unauthorised sharing of intimate content. Authorities noted that complaints were sometimes rejected on the grounds that victims had initially consented to the recording of the images or videos.
Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) MA Saleem said that consent to capture images or videos does not amount to consent for their dissemination. “Even if a person agreed to the recording of intimate content, sharing or publishing that material without their permission constitutes a cognisable offence,” the order stated.
The guidelines draw upon the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement in Justice KS Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs Union of India (2017), which recognised privacy, including bodily privacy and control over personal information, as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The order directs police officers to invoke appropriate provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000, depending on the facts of each case.
Under Section 77 of the BNS (voyeurism), capturing or disseminating images of a woman engaged in a private act without her consent is punishable with imprisonment ranging from one to three years for a first offence and three to seven years for repeat offences. The provision specifically clarifies that consent to recording does not imply consent to distribution.
Police have also been instructed to invoke Sections 66E, 67, and 67A of the IT Act, which criminalise privacy violations, publication of obscene material, and dissemination of sexually explicit content through electronic means. These provisions are gender-neutral and apply irrespective of whether prior consent for recording existed.
The order makes it mandatory for police stations to register FIRs immediately upon receiving complaints related to unauthorised sharing of intimate content, sextortion, blackmail videos, or revenge pornography. Officers have been warned against rejecting complaints solely because the victim had earlier consented to the creation of the content.
For cases involving extortion, threats, or demands for money, sexual favours, or other benefits using intimate content, police have been directed to additionally invoke relevant provisions relating to extortion and criminal intimidation under the BNS.
The guidelines reiterate the requirement to register Zero FIRs when the offence falls outside the territorial jurisdiction of a police station, with immediate transfer to the competent police station thereafter.
Police officers have also been instructed to ensure strict confidentiality of victims’ identities, handle complainants sensitively, and, wherever possible, record complaints of women victims through women police officers.
The order requires police to promptly issue notices to digital platforms and intermediaries under the IT Act and Information Technology Rules, 2021, seeking the removal or blocking of offending content. Investigating officers must also preserve digital evidence and coordinate closely with cybercrime police stations and the CID Cyber Division for technical investigations and forensic analysis.
Warning of strict accountability, the DGP stated that any refusal or delay in registering FIRs in such cases, particularly on the erroneous ground of prior consent for recording, would be viewed seriously. Departmental and disciplinary action will be initiated against officers found violating the directive.
