What should you do if you receive abusive or threatening phone calls? Check what action you can take legally

Have you been receiving abusive and threatful calls? It may be time for you to take it seriously and report it to the police. Ignoring this can be the your biggest mistake as it will take a toll on your menta health.

Mobile phones are the boon and the bane for humans. While it helps us to stay connected with our loved ones, of late, there have been instances of people receiving offensive, abusive, and threatening phone calls.

If someone abuses you on the phone or tries to intimidate you, it should be taken extremely seriously, as ignoring abusive or threatening calls is wrong. If ignored, it will affect your mental health while also being a threat to your safety. In such a situation, be aware, know your rights, and seek legal help if needed, because the law provides for strict action in such cases.

Threatening someone is an serious offence

If someone threatens to kill, harm, or intimidate you over the phone, it is a criminal offense. An FIR can be filed in such cases under Sections 351/352 (formerly 503/506) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Upon receiving a complaint, the police can investigate and take action against the offender.

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Abusive behavior is a punishable offence

Insulting someone or using abusive language over a phone call can invite legal consequences. Under Section 356 of the Criminal Procedure Code (previously Section 504 of the IPC), action can be taken if it is done with the intent to provoke unrest.

What if someone is harassing you?

If someone keeps calling or messaging you in a way that feels harassing, it may be treated as stalking, which is punishable under Section 354D. Continuous contact causing mental harassment also falls under legal action.

In cases where you are harassed, abused or threatened, keep evidence safe

In such cases, it’s crucial to gather evidence. Without evidence, taking action can be difficult. In the meantime, you can save call recordings, screenshots of call logs, and WhatsApp or SMS chats. All of these will help the police when filing a complaint.

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If this happens to you, try to remain calm. Collect and preserve evidence before blocking the number, and then report the matter to your nearest police station or cyber cell. You can also use the women’s helpline or online platforms to file a complaint.