In a controversial case, a man from Assam’s Dhekiajuli, Amit Chakraborty, was compelled to travel 200 km to secure bail after IAS officer Varnali Deka filed a complaint against him for reacting to a comment on her Facebook post. The case, which has sparked debates over online interactions and legal overreach, also named two other accused, Naresh Barua and Abdul Subur Choudhary, for allegedly making derogatory remarks.

The incident traces back to 2023 when Barua commented on one of Deka’s Facebook posts, asking, “No makeup today, ma’am?” Chakraborty responded to the comment with a laughing emoji. This prompted Deka to question him, “What is your problem?” Shortly after, she lodged a complaint at Kokrajhar police station, accusing all three men of cyberstalking and making sexually derogatory remarks.

As part of the legal proceedings, screenshots of the exchanges were submitted to the court. In one of her posts, Deka warned Choudhary, citing Section 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to cyberstalking. She stated, “You are guilty under that and I’m lodging a complaint with the cyber cell. You should have focused on your work rather than stalking me.” In another post, where Chakraborty was tagged, she wrote, “It is a derogatory and sexually coloured remark. Refer Sec 354A. I’m lodging a complaint against you. You are guilty of aiding and….”

In January 2024, Chakraborty was summoned to the police station but was reportedly not provided with any case details. “When I asked for details, he didn’t tell me anything. After that, my friend, who is a lawyer, helped me to know more about the case. I can’t understand how an IAS officer found the time to take such extreme action over something so trivial,” he said.

Chakraborty, who eventually secured conditional bail from the Kokrajhar district court, expressed his frustration over the ordeal. “I just reacted to a Facebook post… and for laughing, today I have to take bail. I didn’t know Varnali Deka is an IAS officer or a Deputy Commissioner,” he told NDTV.

The case has sparked online discussions, with many questioning whether a laughing emoji warrants legal action. While cyberstalking laws are meant to protect individuals from harassment, critics argue that invoking such charges over social media reactions may set a concerning preceden