A city school principal has become the target of malicious character assassination campaign through SMS. The Nagpur police's cyber cell is investigating the campaign that has targeted the 41-year old principal of Bishop Cotton High School (BCS) Manjusha Stephenson.
Sources in the cyber cell confirmed that Stephenson had approached them in mid-July complaining of a SMS being circulated that tarnished her character by making vulgar allegations.
TOI learnt that in July, school staff and alumni members received text messages from unknown numbers making allegations of a personal nature against Stephenson. Many of these were circulated between staff, students and other officials connected with the school. Some staff members brought this to the notice of Stephenson who herself had received similar messages.
Stephenson also confirmed to TOI that she had filed a complaint with the police on July 14. Within days of registering the complaint, Stephenson said the SMS stopped but she wants the perpetrators to be brought to justice. "These false and malicious rumours were being spread through SMS to demoralize me. I have given the names of people I suspect to be behind this to the police but would not like to reveal them to the press. It is better that the truth comes out through police investigation," she said.
Initially, police ran against a wall initially as they found that fake identities and papers were used to procure the SIM cards and different handsets were used to send the texts. Police sources, however, informed that one of the four handsets used is now active again with a different SIM card. An officer involved with the investigations said, "We visited the addresses that were used to procure the SIM card but it was fake. Two SIM cards and four handsets were used to send the texts to a number of people. We are making headway by monitoring certain people and mobile numbers on a daily basis. It appears someone inside the school is involved."
Rachna Singh, principal of St Ursula Girls High school, is also the member of the committee that oversees BCS. Singh too had received an SMS from an unknown number maligning Stephenson. Speaking to TOI, Singh said, "We were all shocked on how some characters were stooping so low and targeting character of a woman. The committee is standing behind Stephenson during this tough time and we do not believe anything mentioned in the SMS. It is shocking that the criminals were able to procure SIM cards so easily while a common man would struggle to get one."
Stephenson said she has been working with BCS for almost two decades and took over as the acting principal last year. The managing committee confirmed her as full time principal on July 21. Nagpur police commissioner Ankush Dhanvijay said, "I will look into this case personally and ask the crime branch to expedite the investigations. We will certainly make sure whoever is behind this is brought to justice."
Stephenson said, "I want the culprits to know I will not back down due to threatening calls or vulgar SMS. I will not quit just because certain vested interests want me too. I have full faith that the police will catch those behind this crime."
Sources in the cyber cell confirmed that Stephenson had approached them in mid-July complaining of a SMS being circulated that tarnished her character by making vulgar allegations.
TOI learnt that in July, school staff and alumni members received text messages from unknown numbers making allegations of a personal nature against Stephenson. Many of these were circulated between staff, students and other officials connected with the school. Some staff members brought this to the notice of Stephenson who herself had received similar messages.
Stephenson also confirmed to TOI that she had filed a complaint with the police on July 14. Within days of registering the complaint, Stephenson said the SMS stopped but she wants the perpetrators to be brought to justice. "These false and malicious rumours were being spread through SMS to demoralize me. I have given the names of people I suspect to be behind this to the police but would not like to reveal them to the press. It is better that the truth comes out through police investigation," she said.
Initially, police ran against a wall initially as they found that fake identities and papers were used to procure the SIM cards and different handsets were used to send the texts. Police sources, however, informed that one of the four handsets used is now active again with a different SIM card. An officer involved with the investigations said, "We visited the addresses that were used to procure the SIM card but it was fake. Two SIM cards and four handsets were used to send the texts to a number of people. We are making headway by monitoring certain people and mobile numbers on a daily basis. It appears someone inside the school is involved."
Rachna Singh, principal of St Ursula Girls High school, is also the member of the committee that oversees BCS. Singh too had received an SMS from an unknown number maligning Stephenson. Speaking to TOI, Singh said, "We were all shocked on how some characters were stooping so low and targeting character of a woman. The committee is standing behind Stephenson during this tough time and we do not believe anything mentioned in the SMS. It is shocking that the criminals were able to procure SIM cards so easily while a common man would struggle to get one."
Stephenson said she has been working with BCS for almost two decades and took over as the acting principal last year. The managing committee confirmed her as full time principal on July 21. Nagpur police commissioner Ankush Dhanvijay said, "I will look into this case personally and ask the crime branch to expedite the investigations. We will certainly make sure whoever is behind this is brought to justice."
Stephenson said, "I want the culprits to know I will not back down due to threatening calls or vulgar SMS. I will not quit just because certain vested interests want me too. I have full faith that the police will catch those behind this crime."
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