Teen Kills Self Allegedly After Her Morphed Photos Were Circulated On Social Media

A 16-year-old girl in India killed herself allegedly after her morphed photos surfaced online.

The girl, who was not identified, allegedly received threats from anonymous people that her morphed photos would be shared on social media.

Her family members initially took the threats lightly, but when the girl continued to receive them, they approached the police. The family said the police did not take the complaint seriously, local daily the Indian Express reported.

Last week, the girl's friends informed her that her photos were being circulated on social media. Soon, the girl's relatives also came across such photos and informed her parents.

When the girl did not open her room door for hours, the family members broke the door open and found her hanging from the ceiling at her home in North 24 Parganas, a district in the eastern state of West Bengal.

She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival. A police complaint was filed and an investigation was ongoing.

"She was found dead in her home. The investigation is on. We have received a complaint and her mobile has been taken," an officer told the daily.

The victim's family members and friends later protested near the girl's home demanding immediate arrest of the perpetrators. More information regarding why the girl was receiving the threats was not known.

Earlier this year, a man in New Delhi was arrested for allegedly circulating morphed photos of a woman on social media in an attempt to malign her image. Investigation into the incident began after the woman filed a police complaint stating that her morphed images, that were "obscene," were being circulated on social media. Investigators traced the account that had originally shared the images and took the account holder, identified as 33-year-old Mohammed Aasim Sayaad, into custody.

"During the investigation, we found that such posts had been shared with multiple people through social media. We got the posts removed from Facebook and Twitter," Delhi Police spokesperson Anil Mittal had told local daily Hindustan Times at the time.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.