Delhi Police registers FIR over alleged circulation of child sexual abuse material on Meta platforms

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has registered a First Information Report over suspected child sexual abuse material allegedly circulated through Meta platforms. The action matters because it formally begins a criminal investigation into whether illegal content was available or shared online.

The platforms identified are Facebook and Instagram. Police said about 10 links were flagged in a complaint. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit then began investigating to verify the allegations. The FIR was registered on October 8 under Sections 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The Special Cell is now investigating the matter. The article does not state whether anyone has been arrested, charged in court, or found responsible. It also does not establish that Meta itself created or knowingly circulated the material. Those questions depend on the investigation and any evidence gathered.

A First Information Report, or FIR, is a formal record made by police when they receive information about a suspected criminal offence. It sets out the allegations sufficiently for an investigation to begin. Registering an FIR does not prove that the reported offence occurred or that a particular person is guilty.

In this case, Delhi Police registered the FIR on October 8 under Sections 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The complaint concerned about 10 links allegedly connected with the circulation of child sexual abuse material through Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

The FIR gives the Special Cell a formal basis to investigate. Police said they were checking the allegations, but the article does not describe every investigative step. It also does not report arrests, prosecutions, or a final conclusion. Those outcomes would require evidence and further legal proceedings.

The complaint that led to the Delhi Police investigation flagged approximately 10 links. The links allegedly involved the circulation or availability of child sexual abuse material through platforms operated by Meta. Their identification prompted police to examine the reported content and circumstances.

The figure comes from Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations Additional Commissioner Sanjay Bhatia. He said the police initiated an investigation to verify the allegations. The FIR was later registered under Sections 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The number of links is an allegation-related figure, not a confirmed count of illegal files or proven transmissions. The article does not say how many users viewed or shared the links. It also does not say whether every link contained unlawful material. Those matters remain part of the Special Cell’s investigation.

Section 67 of India’s Information Technology Act, 2000, prohibits publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. Section 67B addresses the more specific category of material depicting children in sexually explicit acts or conduct in electronic form. The provisions therefore cover unlawful online publication or transmission.

Delhi Police registered the FIR under both sections on October 8. The complaint concerned approximately 10 links and suspected child sexual abuse material on Meta-operated platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The sections identify the legal basis for examining the alleged online activity.

The article does not provide the punishment attached to either section. It also does not say that the allegations have been proved. The Special Cell is investigating whether the material was available or circulated and what conduct, if any, can be legally attributed to particular people.

Child sexual abuse material, often shortened to CSAM, is sexual content that depicts or records the abuse or exploitation of a child. The article uses the term Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material, or CSEAM. It concerns real harm to children, not merely offensive or adult sexual content.

Creating such material abuses a child and records the exploitation. Sharing it distributes that abuse to others and can cause continuing harm. Possessing it helps sustain demand and circulation. These acts are criminalised to protect children, prevent exploitation, and stop abusive material from spreading. The article specifically links the reported content to Sections 67 and 67B.

The Delhi Police are investigating whether the material was available or circulated through Meta platforms. The article does not report confirmed offenders, arrests, or convictions. Those conclusions require evidence and legal proceedings.

The Special Cell’s stated task is to investigate the reported material and verify the allegations. This means determining whether the flagged links actually involved child sexual abuse material and whether it was available or circulated through the named platforms. The investigation is the step between a complaint and any legal conclusion.

The complaint flagged approximately 10 links. Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations Additional Commissioner Sanjay Bhatia said police initiated an investigation to verify the allegations. NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said Delhi Police had registered an FIR regarding CSEAM on platforms operated by Meta India.

The article does not describe specific forensic, platform-record, or user-tracing methods. It also does not name a suspected distributor or report an arrest. Therefore, the current confirmed fact is that the Special Cell is investigating, not that responsibility has been established.

If investigators confirm that people published or transmitted the reported material, the conduct could be pursued under the sections cited in the FIR. Section 67 concerns obscene electronic material, while Section 67B concerns electronic material depicting children in sexually explicit acts or conduct. These provisions provide the reported legal basis for the case.

The complaint involved approximately 10 flagged links connected to Meta platforms. Delhi Police registered the FIR on October 8, and the Special Cell is investigating. Evidence would need to establish what material was involved, whether it was circulated, and which individuals, if any, took part.

The article does not state the precise penalties available under these provisions. It also does not report arrests, charges filed in court, or convictions. Any consequences would therefore depend on the investigation, prosecutorial action, and a court’s findings.