India: Internet access cut in Jammu amid sectarian unrest April 22 /update 1

Event

Indian authorities cut internet access in Jammu on Sunday, April 22, to quell protests over the recent rape and murder of a young Muslim girl by alleged Hindu attackers in Jammu and Kashmir state. The Jammu police have said that the measure aims to limit the spread of false information that has the potential to stoke further sectarian unrest between Hindu and Muslim residents. Further internet outages, related protests, and heightened security measures are possible in Jammu and elsewhere in India in the coming days. Localized transportation disruptions are expected around potential protest sites.

Context

Large protests have been held in cities across India in recent days over the rape and murder of a young girl in Kathua district (Jammu and Kashmir state) and the alleged rape of another minor girl in Unnao district (Uttar Pradesh state). Thousands of protesters have marched in New Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Indore, Ajmer, Surat, Goa, and Thiruvananthapuram, among other areas.

According to data from the Indian National Crime Records Bureau, incidents of child rape in India increased by over 82 percent from 2015 to 2016. Under a new law enacted in 2013, prison terms for rapists were doubled to 20 years; voyeurism, stalking, and sex trafficking were criminalized as well.

Advice

Individuals in India, particularly in the abovementioned areas, are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.