The Uttarakhand High Court has sent notices to Facebook, the Centre and the state government on a PIL filed by an advocate alleging that he was a victim of cyber blackmailing.

Hearing the petition on Wednesday, Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma directed Facebook India Head and central and state governments to file their replies within three weeks.

The Uttarakhand DGP and the Haridwar additional superintendent of police have also been sent notices by the division bench of the high court.

The PIL was related to obscene videos on Internet made using pictures from hacked Facebook IDs and by fraudsters having fake Facebook IDs. These videos and accounts were being used to blackmail people and extort lakhs of rupees from them.

The petitioner, an advocate based in Haridwar, said in the petition that friend requests are sent from fake Facebook IDs and once these requests are accepted the photos are edited into obscene videos.

After this people are blackmailed for money, he said, adding a similar video was sent to him. He filed a complaint before the SSP Haridwar, DGP and the home secretary but no action was taken, the petitioner said.

He, then, filed an application under RTI, asking the police department about the number of FIRs registered in such cases.

Forty-five victims have lodged complaints in similar cases so far and their complaints are under consideration, he said.