Screenshots from an Instagram group called "Bois Locker Room" revealing chats between a group of Delhi schoolboys from Class 11 and 12 sharing photos of underage women, followed by lurid discussions on their bodies have gone viral on social media.
The incident has once again reignited online conversations about toxic masculinity, the prevalence of rape culture and the young age at which it is permeated as well as calls for punishment and accountability for the accused. (Photo: Getty Images)
Leaked screenshots from an Instagram group allegedly run by teenage boys have gone viral on Indian social media. Why? Because of their graphic sexualisation as well as sharing of private photos of underage women.
On Sunday, screenshots from an Instagram group called "Bois Locker Room" were shared by social media users. The screenshots reveal chats between a group of schoolboys from Class 11 and 12 sharing photos of underage women, followed by lurid discussions on their bodies.
The group was also allegedly used to share nude/morphed photographs of the women.
The original posts that uncovered the controversy.
According to reports, the group is run by and has membership of 16 to 18-year-old boys from posh schools in South Delhi, all of whom were involved in the objectification of their classmates and other women, some as young as 14. The list of members of the group chat has also been released publicly.
The expletive-laden chats show the boys discussing having sex with their classmates as well as rating them on a scale of beauty vs the size of their breasts and how the latter makes up for any supposed deficiency in the former criteria.
"Bad dressing sense but good t**s" reads one such message.
Another bunch of messages has the members sharing photos of teenage girls and making others guess her age.
As the leaked screenshots went viral and outrage over their behaviour poured out, many of the users of the group allegedly deactivated their social media profiles and also allegedly threatened to leak nude photos and hack accounts of the women who had outed them.
"Bhai jitni bhi ladkiyon ne stories daali hai na sabki nudes leak kar dete hain. Kuch kuch ki hai mere paas...now they'll know yeh sab *expletive* karne ka kya natija hota hai...ab muh band rakhengi yeh *expletive*...bada feminist banna hai na sabko...kahin muh dikhane ke layak nahi rahengi. [Let's post nude photos of all girls who posted stories about us. I have photos of some of them. Now they will know the result of these shenanigans. They will shut their mouth. They want to be feminists na... they will not be able to show their face in public.]"
That is the threat posted in a subsequent chat between the members of the Bois Locker Room once their deeds went viral.
Once the chats went public, many women friends of the group members also sprung into their support and alleged that the women who had spoken up about the incident had falsely accused their friends.
Social media users have reported that some of the members of the Bois Locker Room group chat have been identified and cases have been filed against them under the IT Act, however, this remains to be verified.
Other cybersecurity experts have also become involved in the incident and are pursuing the case legally.
indiatoday
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