Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar shared the alleged sexual harassment experience of his 13-year-old daughter, Nitara, on an online gaming platform during the inauguration of Cyber Awareness Month at the Maharashtra State Police Headquarters in Mumbai.
While speaking at the event, Akshay Kumar said, "The person started with polite messages with my daughter like 'thank you', 'well played', and 'fantastic'. He seemed like a nice person. After some time, he asked if she was male or female, and when she replied 'female', the tone of the conversation changed." “Later, the stranger asked my daughter to send him nude pictures of herself. My daughter immediately shut down the game and informed my wife. Thankfully, she didn't hesitate to share what happened," the actor added.
The actor further said the incident reflects a cybercrime pattern where predators first build trust and then attempt to exploit minors, a modus operandi that often ends in extortion and, in tragic cases, suicide. He also urged the Maharashtra government to include a lecture on cyber awareness in the school curriculum so that children understand the risks in the digital world and learn how to stay safe.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the importance of reporting cybercrime to the cyber police helplines (1930 and 1945) within the “Golden Hour”, the first hour after the crime occurs. He noted that timely reporting is crucial in cyber fraud cases, as it increases the chances of recovering stolen money. Further he added, the state plans to raise awareness among school and college students, training them to become “cyber warriors” who can alert others and help prevent such incidents. As part of the campaign, he launched two resources: a documentary on cyber security and a children’s comic book titled Cyber Warrior.
The CM also said, “fraudsters are increasingly using AI for phishing, OTP scams, deepfakes, and voice cloning. He noted that Maharashtra has set up cyber security labs, response centres, and regulatory mechanisms to counter such threats, stressing that timely reporting is crucial to limit losses.”
Also present at the ceremony were actor Rani Mukherjee, VJTI Dean of R&D and Consultancy Dr. Farooq Kazi, and several IAS and IPS officers, Activists working to raise awareness about cybercrime were felicitated for their efforts and encouraged to further enhance their capabilities.
