What made this case a turning point was not just who the victim was. It was how little it took. A publicly available photo, a free AI tool, and the decision to use it to humiliate someone. That decision is being made every day now, in workplaces, in professional networks, in group chats where colleagues think no one is watching. Online harassment has found a powerful new instrument in generative AI, and every workspace, physical or digital, is already within its reach.

Online Harassment has a New Toolkit

Deepfakes, which are AI-generated or AI-altered images, videos, and audio, are no longer a niche technological curiosity. The number of deepfake files skyrocketed from 500,000 in 2023 to an estimated 8 million by 2025, and the tools to create them require almost no technical skill. A social media profile, a few public photos, a voice note — that is enough raw material.

Deepfake-related cybercrime cases in India have increased as well. According to a McAfee survey, 75% of Indians have consumed some form of deepfake content in the last twelve months, and 88% have encountered deepfake scams. These are not abstract numbers. The harm is real, immediate, and overwhelmingly gendered.

It is Happening to Ordinary Women, Not Just Celebrities

The Rashmika Mandanna case made national headlines and triggered an FIR. But that incident, visible precisely because of who the victim was, represents a much larger crisis. A 2025 report based on cases submitted to Meri Trustline, a helpline by the Rati Foundation, found that 92% of women reporting deepfake abuse are ordinary women, not celebrities.

The content being created is not limited to viral videos. It includes morphed intimate images circulated in WhatsApp groups, fake profiles built from stolen LinkedIn photos, voice notes doctored to put words in someone’s mouth, and threats to upload manipulated imagery unless a demand is met. These are tools of intimidation, and they are showing up in professional contexts with increasing frequency.

In the workplace, deepfakes can be weaponised to harass, intimidate, retaliate, or destroy reputations, often with limited recourse under traditional employment policies. A fabricated image of a female colleague shared in an office group chat. A cloned voice note made to sound like an employee saying something compromising. An altered photograph used to discredit a woman who raised a complaint. Each of these scenarios is plausible. Several are already documented.

This is Workplace Harassment Under POSH

India’s Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, 2013 defines harassment to include any unwelcome act that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment. The law explicitly extends to the “extended workplace,” meaning any location where work-related interaction occurs. Digital channels are not an exception.

When a colleague’s image is morphed into obscene content and shared through a work group, that is sexual harassment under POSH. When a woman receives AI-generated explicit content from a co-worker, that is a violation. When someone’s voice is cloned to fabricate a conversation that then circulates in professional networks, there is both a POSH complaint and a criminal offence at play.

The challenge is that most Internal Committees have been trained to handle verbal and physical complaints. Digital harassment, especially when it involves social media, anonymous accounts, or content originating outside office hours, is a new frontier that existing IC training rarely covers. The gap between what the law covers and what organisations are prepared to investigate is significant, and closing it is now a compliance priority.

What Indian Law Says

India does not yet have a standalone deepfake law. But existing frameworks offer more protection than most people realise. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, notified by MeitY in February 2026, now impose a strict three-hour takedown window for AI-generated content flagged as harmful, making this one of the most stringent platform liability provisions globally.

Key provisions currently available to victims:

Under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023:

• Section 336 covers forgery using AI-altered media, carrying up to 7 years imprisonment
• Section 79 addresses outraging modesty, including through morphed images, with up to 3 years imprisonment
• Section 356 deals with defamation through published imagery, carrying up to 2 years imprisonment
• Section 351(3) covers criminal intimidation using morphed imagery as a threat, with up to 7 years imprisonment

Under the Information Technology Act, 2000:

• Section 66C covers identity theft through misuse of someone’s digital likeness, carrying up to 3 years imprisonment and a Rs 1 lakh fine
• Section 66E addresses violation of privacy through publishing someone’s imagery without consent
• Section 67A criminalises publishing sexually explicit synthetic content, with up to 7 years on repeat conviction

Courts have been responsive. In December 2025, Delhi and Mumbai courts granted emergency orders in favour of NTR Jr., R. Madhavan, and Shilpa Shetty, blocking the spread of AI-generated deepfakes and voice clones, and making clear that intermediaries must quickly remove AI-driven impersonations once notified.

What to Do if it Happens to You 

A fast response matters enormously, and under the 2026 IT Rules, acting quickly triggers the platform’s legal obligation to remove content within hours. Whether the victim is you, a colleague, or someone who approaches HR, the steps are the same.

• Preserve evidence first. Screenshot the content, note the URL, and save any profile details of the person who uploaded it. Do not delete anything.
• File a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and at the nearest cyber police station. For sexual deepfakes, FIR registration is mandatory.
• Report directly to the platform, triggering their takedown obligation under the 2026 IT Rules.
• Escalate through POSH channels if the content involves any workplace connection, such as a colleague, a manager, or a shared professional network.
• Seek urgent High Court relief in serious cases. Indian courts have granted nearly immediate takedown orders for deepfake materials that are potentially damaging, often within 12 to 18 hours.

Building a Workplace that Takes online Sexual Harassment Seriously

Digital conduct is not a grey area anymore. Organisations have a clear duty, ethical and legal, to treat online harassment with the same weight as anything that happens in a conference room. That means updating POSH policies to explicitly name digital and AI-generated harassment, training Internal Committees to investigate such complaints properly, and communicating without ambiguity that creating, sharing, or threatening someone with manipulated content is grounds for disciplinary action.

The women in your teams are navigating a professional environment where their faces, voices, and identities can be weaponised by anyone with a smartphone and a motive. Recognising that as a workplace safety issue, not just a social media problem, is the first and most important shift an organisation can make.

The post When the Screen Becomes the Weapon: Online Harassment, AI, and What It Means for Your Workplace first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

But this case opened the door to something much bigger.

While hearing the case, the Court also turned its attention to how the POSH Act has been implemented across the country.

Why Did the Supreme Court Take Action?

Reports submitted by learned lawyers revealed a concerning pattern: even after a decade, many states and union territories had not fully complied with the POSH Act.

There were no committees in some districts, no data on implementation, and no clear process for redressal. What began as one case turned into a nationwide compliance check.

Here’s What the Supreme Court Ordered

To fix the gaps, the Court issued a set of directives that all States and UTs must now act upon:

• Every district must have a fully functional Local Complaint Committee
• Government departments and PSUs must set up Internal Committees
• States and UTs must appoint District Officers and make their details public
• POSH implementation data must be published for transparency
• Ensure proper training for all members of LCCs and ICs

What This Means for Workplaces Across India

This judgment has sent ripples across organisations and administrations nationwide. With POSH compliance now under judicial scrutiny, what was once seen as a requirement on paper is being taken far more seriously. Regulatory pressure is rising, and for many institutions, the shift from policy to action has already begun.

At Metis, we’re seeing a growing number of organisations reach out to assess their compliance status, set up or reconstitute Internal Committees, and strengthen their redressal mechanisms in line with the latest directives.

The post The Supreme Court’s directives on nationwide POSH implementation first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

There are clear guidelines for the police, courts, and media on how to conceal the details of
the victims in sexual assault cases. Despite this, the officials involved in handling the recent
sexual harassment case in Anna University, Chennai failed to uphold the victim’s right to
privacy. The FIR of the case was uploaded in the public domain, revealing the identity of the
victim, her phone number and address, and the details of the incident.

The FIR leakage is a serious lapse in the investigation process, with high chances of
deviating and destabilising the ongoing investigation. The negligence has potentially
exposed the victim to discrimination and harassment. The Madras High Court ruled in favour
of the victim and directed that the Tamil Nadu government pay an interim compensation of
Rs. 25 lakh to the victim. This would be recovered from those who were responsible for the
dereliction of duty and leaking of the FIR.

The Confidentiality Mandate

Maintaining the confidentiality of the victims of sexual harassment is of utmost importance.
This is a critical mandate even in PoSH cases . Complainants will only come forward if they
firmly believe that they can trust the process – with an assurance of safety and security by
ensuring anonymity.

In the P v. A & Ors case from 2021, the Bombay High Court issued important guidelines for
maintaining anonymity in PoSH cases. The High Court acknowledged that the identities of
the persons involved in the case must be protected from both intentional and accidental
exposure. The court outlined specific minimum standards to shield the identities of the
people.

● The names of the parties should not be included in the body of the order.
● The orders should be titled only with the first letter of their names during the proceedings. For example, the A v. B case, and P v. S case.
● Any information that might aid in identifying the survivor, the harasser, and the
witnesses will not be included in the order.
● These orders will not be uploaded publicly.

The privacy standards are intended to act as a functioning framework for courts handling
PoSH Act matters. This case is a benchmark for ensuring victim protection in PoSH cases
during legal proceedings.

Role of Internal Committees in Maintaining Privacy

Similar to courts, ICs handling PoSH cases are required to safeguard confidentiality during the investigation with extreme care. It is strictly forbidden by the PoSH Act to divulge case details to outside parties. The employer is the only person who may be given such information, ideally on a need-to-know basis. The employer must be notified when the complaint is first filed and when the final report needs to be actioned. Putting such interim measures into place aids the investigation.

Consequently, the Employer and the ICs must take all reasonable steps to safeguard case-
related data, such as witness and party identities. ICs should anonymise these reports once
the final version of the investigation is part of the records and ensure their safe storage.

Confidentiality is indispensable because it is a promise of safety for the victims coming
forward with their cases. A breach of confidentiality is a breach of their confidence in the
system.

There should be regular training for IC members on confidentiality protocols.

How ICs can build more trust in the organisation

Victims are empowered to come forward only when they are aware of the company’s
policies on PoSH and how they address these cases. Organisations should take active steps
to create awareness among the entire workforce regarding the PoSH Act, its guidelines, and
redressal mechanisms especially educating victims to come directly to the IC without talking
about the case with colleagues as this could lead to gossip.

A major barrier to people reporting sexual harassment at workplaces is the fear of
information leakage, which can in turn make the working environment more hostile for the
victim. The victim might have to face cultural stigma around such cases. Therefore, the ICs
responsible for resolving PoSH cases must be sensitised, and understand their duty to make
a cultural shift towards empathy and victim protection.

If you wish to know more please do reach out to us on contact@posh.metisindia.com

The post Confidentiality Is Non-Negotiable first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

While handling a sexual harassment compliant, what should the Internal Complaints Committee keep in mind while conducting Inquiries?

Download the document here: Essential tips for the ICC while conducting a POSH Inquiry (4533 downloads )

The post Essential tips for the ICC while conducting a POSH Inquiry first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

We have collated a list of important duties of the Internal Complaints Committee. Download the document here Duties of IC (4177 downloads )

Please download the checklist (.pdf) here:
[Download not found]

The post Duties of the Internal Complaints Committee first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

We have designed a format to assist the aggrieved individual / victim / complainant in making a formal complaint to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).

Please download the Complaints form (.pdf) here: Template for registering sexual harassment complaint (9367 downloads )

The post Template for registering a sexual harassment complaint first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

Download the inquiry report format (.pdf) here: Inquiry report format (12017 downloads )

The post Inquiry report format on completion of Inquiry first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

The document contains details on Quid-Pro-Quo and a case study.

Please download the Quid-Pro-Quo document (.pdf) here: Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment at workplace (4214 downloads )

The post Quid-Pro-Quo sexual harassment first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

It is important to understand conciliation and its procedure. The document aims at guiding you through a conciliation procedure.

Download the document (.pdf) here: Conciliation procedure under POSH Act (5740 downloads )

The post Conciliation procedure for dispute resolution first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.

Here is a third party harassment case that we handled in one of the companies which encountered this dilemma and the ICC handled the case humanely learning a great deal along the way.

Case Study:

The victim was a job seeker (woman) living close to an industrial area around Bangalore.  The respondent was a contracted security guard of a small manufacturing company. It so happened that the victim had come to the company premises to submit her resume for a job. The security guard received her resume and promised to call her back in case she is shortlisted by the HR. The HR after going through the resume found her to be unsuitable and specifically told the security guard not to entertain such resumes since it is totally unrelated to the kind of work they do.

However the security guard called her number (mentioned in the resume) and informed her that she has been shortlisted and asked her to come for an interview the following Sunday .The victim, without realizing that most companies are closed on Sundays, chose to come for the interview at 9 A.M.

On the day, when she came to the company for the interview, the respondent was waiting for her. He led her to a room stating that the HR would come there for the interview. He went out, checked the surrounding and found no one outside. He went back to the room, locked it from the inside and tried molesting her. The victim quickly realized his intentions starting crying for help, banging on the door and shouting loudly.

Apparently a gardener tending the plants heard her cries and quickly rushed to the spot and started shouting from outside. The respondent (security guard) realized that he is in trouble, opened the door and ran outside. He escaped through the main gate and before the gardener could call for help, he was gone.

The victim was shocked. The gardener offered her water to drink and escorted her to an autorickshaw outside that drove her home.

The victim returned to the company the next day with her husband to complain to the management. As soon as the management heard her story, they called the ICC to take up the matter immediately.

Will this be the responsibility of the company’s POSH committee?

No it does not since the victim (the woman) and the respondent (security guard) both are not the employees of the company. It would have directly come under the scope of the ICC, if at least one of them, either the victim or the alleged harasser were employees of the company.

Ideally, what is the responsibility of the ICC in such a case?

ICC met the victim, took her complaint in detail and offered to help her in whatever way possible. It is important to note that the right thing to do would be to assist the victim even if it does not come under the scope. At the time of need, when the victim is scared, it is important that the ICC of the company offers help.

What actions did the ICC of the company take?

1. The gardener was interrogated as witness to get complete details of her account which was documented.
2. The vendor was called for a hearing as the respondent had committed the act and fled the scene.
3. The vendor was asked to submit all the personal details of the respondent (security guard).
4. As the vendor company did not have an ICC, the ICC of the company helped her lodge a written complaint in the local police station.The ICC also furnished all the relevant documentation that they had collected post their initial investigation about the incident along with all the details ofthe alleged harasser.
5. The ICC having gone through the existing Background Verification Process, recommended to the management to restructure the Background Verification process with additional checks, applicable to all the existing and new vendors with immediate effect
6. The vendor was given our company policy on POSH and an agreement was put in place to ensure no one from the vendor company, be it office boys, security guard or housekeeping staff would enter premises without having gone through the company POSH policy.
7. An awareness session in Kannada was arranged on POSH to all the third party contractors working in the company.

It is important to note that ICC needs to focus on the value they want to create which is of a larger significance to the organisation, rather than scope of work.

Hence the role of ICC cannot be completely defined and boundaries drawn. There are times when they need to go beyond the call of duties to ensure they do the “right thing”.

The post Going beyond boundaries – Internal Complaints Committee first appeared on Metis POSH Consulting Service LLP.