Targeted By Right-Wing Networks: Content Creator Couple Struggle For Protection Amid Cyber Law Failures
A young content creator couple’s experience of online harassment, doxxing and sustained intimidation has once again brought attention to the serious gaps in India’s cyber laws and the limited accountability of social media platforms.
Prashant Pundir, a social media creator who also works at an advertising agency, and his partner, Shrishti Khanna, an educator, found themselves at the centre of an intense online hate campaign in December after posting a video discussing Israeli soldiers travelling to India for post-military holidays.
What began as a viral Instagram reel soon spiralled into a coordinated campaign of abuse, personal attacks and real-world consequences.
On December 6, the couple uploaded an explainer video on Instagram about the phenomenon often referred to as the “Post-Army Big Trip”, where Israeli soldiers travel to destinations like Goa, Kasol, Dharamkot, Pushkar and parts of Himachal Pradesh after completing military service.
In the video, they spoke about how certain tourist hubs have developed infrastructure catering specifically to Israeli travellers, including hostels displaying Israeli Defence Force symbols.
They also argued that the popularity of India as a destination for these soldiers reflects closer political and ideological ties between the Indian and Israeli governments, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza.
The video struck a chord online. It crossed 2.6 million views and brought the couple more than 18,000 new followers — far more attention than they had ever received before.
But within days, that attention turned hostile.
Prashant told Alt News that the first wave of backlash was expected, including abusive comments and trolling on Instagram. However, things escalated dramatically after the video was reposted on X by influential right-wing accounts without their consent.
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“What changed was the scale and coordination, suddenly, multiple pages with thousands of followers were sharing our content and encouraging harassment,” Prashant told Alt News.
Soon, their private information was circulating online. Phone numbers, email addresses, workplace details and even office contact information were made public. False narratives about their personal and professional lives began spreading rapidly.
Prashant’s queer identity was mocked and misrepresented, while fabricated claims were made about their conduct and intentions. Abuse followed them across platforms, from Instagram to X, Substack and email.
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Fearing for their safety, both eventually deactivated their social media accounts.
The harassment did not stop online. Troll accounts identified Shrishti’s workplace, a school and began tagging the institution publicly, demanding her dismissal.
Emails were sent to her employers accusing her of spreading “dangerous politics” and questioning her role as a teacher.
“My workplace received multiple emails asking them to fire me,” Shrishti told Alt News. “People were questioning whether I was radicalising children, what kind of educator I was, and whether my views made me unfit to teach,” she added.
Despite her employers standing by her, the pressure intensified when prominent right-wing handles falsely claimed that she had already been terminated from her job.
These rumours were picked up and amplified by media outlets. While some platforms later removed the content after legal notices, others continue to host articles that repeat the false claim that Shrishti was “sacked”
As the couple attempted to seek help, they encountered what they describe as a deeply frustrating legal and procedural maze.
Reporting abusive content and doxxing to social media platforms yielded little response. Harmful posts remained online even after complaints were filed.
On the legal front, they found no clear or swift mechanism to address coordinated online harassment, identity-based abuse or the public leaking of private information.
