A former classmate of a senior police officer’s daughter has been arrested in Barasat for allegedly circulating her phone number and objectionable photographs in several groups on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, an officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate said.

The accused, Arkadeep Kundu, is the son of a Trinamul Congress leader and coordinator of Ward 10 of Uttarpara-Kotrang Municipality in Hooghly. He was picked up by a team from the cyber crime police station in Salt Lake on Sunday morning.

An officer of the commissionerate said the daughter of a senior police officer had lodged a complaint with the cyber crime police station alleging that her cellphone number and objectionable photographs were being circulated for several months in various WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger groups.

She mentioned in the complaint that several people had called her and made objectionable comments.

“We started checking the numbers from which the woman’s number had been circulated. We found that several numbers used by Kundu had added the complainant’s number to various groups on WhatsApp,” the officer said.

Another officer said the woman and Kundu had been classmates in college.

“Initially, the woman had tried to persuade Kundu not to circulate her number and photographs but he refused, citing connections in political circles,” the officer said.

“Incidents of people trying to use social media as a tool to commit crime are on the rise. It is important for women to come forward and report the crime to the authorities. There are strict laws against online offences,” said an officer not attached to the case.

Hundreds of such incidents happen where women are subjected to extortion and blackmail by men they had trusted. Only a few are reported.

Another officer said it was best to avoid clicking personal photographs with strangers or with persons one barely knows.

Social media platforms, including messenger services, have become potential weapons of cyber crime.