Like many, Mumbai-based writer Shasvathi Siva put up a social media post last week urgently requesting medical support for a family member infected by the coronavirus. But along with help from a resourceful online community, she also faced harassment from several unknown men, some of whom even sent her lewd photographs. This was not something Siva expected to deal with during a country-wide health crisis. 

“A lot of good samaritans came forward to help out and give me contacts. A few friends helped me get the word out by asking some influential contacts to post on my behalf. And my number was circulated. That's when the issues began,” she says. She started getting a few weird calls asking how she knows the person who had posted on her behalf and whether she was single. “In a day, I got multiple video calls, so fast in succession that I couldn't find a few seconds to block. It was wildly violating of my space.” Siva recounted this horror on her Twitter page too.