Bengaluru Worker Loses Job After Threatening Influencer with Acid Attack

A business development professional lost his job after allegedly threatening a social media influencer over her clothing. The incident was brought to light by the influencer's husband, Ansar, who called for action from the authorities.

Threatening Message Revealed

On October 9, Ansar posted a troubling message that he said he received from Nikith Shetty, an employee of Etios Services, a digital marketing firm in Dehradun: "Hey b#$@, kindly tell your wife to follow a good dress especially in Karnataka or else I may splash acid on her face."

Feeling threatened, Ansar tagged Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and local police in the post. "This person is threatening to throw acid on my wife's face for her choice of clothes. Please take immediate action against him. This criminal works for @etiosservices, and I don't think women are safe there."

Reaction from Influencer

The unidentified influencer revealed her sadness in an interview with the Times of India. She emphasized how distressing it is to get such threats for merely expressing yourself online. "It's sad that a man can be offended by what I wear... Expecting me to dress a certain way is disturbing. How can someone think of ruining my life with acid?" she said.

Ansar said his wife receives ten abusive messages daily because she is an influencer, but this threat felt much worse. "We were scared," he told the Times of India. "The police said they are looking for him and are investigating the case."

This is serious. @DgpKarnataka @CMofKarnataka @DKShivakumar . This person is threatening to throw acid on my wife's face for her choice of clothes. Please take immediate action against this person to prevent any incident from happening. pic.twitter.com/N6fxS59Kqm

— Shahbaz Ansar (@ShahbazAnsar_) October 9, 2024

This is one of the most recent examples in a pattern that has raised worries about online harassment and the safety of women, especially public personalities.