Can messages on WhatsApp be used for framing someone?

quicky008

Technomancer
I currently work in an educational institution. There is an individual in our organisation that always tries to debase and humiliate me as he appears to harbour some ill will against me for reasons unknown.

Very recently i was working on a computer and had kept the whatsapp windows open in a browser and had forgotten to logout from it.

That fellow was aware of this and he had surreptitiously logged into my account in my absence and had taken screenshot s of many of my conversations with my colleagues, some of which included criticisms and uncharitable remarks against our boss.


Today he called me aside and threatened to expose me by showing my WhatsApp chats to our chief, thus getting me fired in the process.

I would like to know what's the legal angle on this, can someone 's private whatsapp chats be used to get him sacked from his job?

If such a thing does happen, what recourse can i take to defend myself?

I am really worried. Please let me know your thoughts on this?
 

Nerevarine

Incarnate
This is very serious. If possible consult a lawyer. Breach of privacy, blackmail and extortion are serious crimes.

Any conversation you have with him, keep a record of it. Written/Chats are best. Dont engage in verbal conversation.
 
OP
quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
If he took the screenshots, can it be said that he accessed your account to send those messages? :chinscratch:
thats a brilliant idea ! Will it work in real life though?


I already confronted him with the fact that my whatsapp coversations are private.....therefore he has no right to probe into them,but he retorted saying that as my whatsapp account was already open on a browser,he had every right to access it as it was supposedly "open" for everyone to see!!
 
OP
quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
actually some of the chats are quite old,i dont think the argument that he has sent those messages will be acceptable as he has accessed my account only recently.

This guy is also a proverbial scumbag and considers me an impediment in his efforts to rise in the organization,therefore he will try his best to remove me from my post by colluding with out boss.
 

bssunilreddy

Chosen of the Omnissiah
Man
My ex-wife did so many things that I lost count like you said. If anybody illegally logs into your account then that is called intrusion. You can always explain it or file a complaint in the nearest PS. But be careful next time onwards. Okay.
 
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quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
Thank you for your advice @bssunilreddy

However that fellow is trying to use the photos of my whatsapp chats in order to frame me and get me removed from my job.I am pretty sure that on hearing about this our boss would take the side of that scumbag as he shares a strong rapport with him.

If they try to accuse me of any wrong doing on the basis of my whatsapp chats and threaten to fire me or subject me to any type of abusive behaviour,is that legally permitted?

If they do any of those things,what course of action can i take against them?

Also today when that chap called me aside to threaten me i had a heated argument with him and he tried to assault me physically but was stopped short by a female colleague of mine-he also subjected me to a great deal of verbal abuse,including saying nasty things about my parents.

I am a pacifist by nature and dont engage in arguments/squabbles with anyone unnecessarily-i was barely able to control my temper today.I dont know what awaits me in the next working day (which is monday-when he has "promised" to humiliate me before our boss)
 
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sling-shot

Wise Old Owl
Legal things aside the screenshots may be enough to get you dismissed based on contents. Better to start thinking of alternative options.
 

RumbaMon19

Feel Pain.
I suggest you start looking for new job, because the way you described his character, he could be doing anything randomly for "fun". Better to keep a backup.

You can take legal action against him as he invaded your privacy. But many people including me would say it is not worth it due time the judiciary will take to solve it.

do you have any confessions in those chat wherein you confessed of doing anything wrong like cheat or deliberately induce some issue in company about which the company can sue you? If not then dont worry. How deep are those uncharitable remarks? If you included any casteist slurs or something to do with his religion or something on his family, then you may get in trouble, But if it is only criticism against his behaviour that would not be of legal problem atleast.

I suggest you look this up on r/legaladviceindia

You cant and should not threaten that guy as he can go out of control. For some days till you find new job, become "Meetha" to him. Once you got your job on hand, You can threaten him to delete those else you will file case against him for evading privacy. Usually suchh statement threatens them enough. But till you dont have any backup, dont engage with that person.

Lastly, it also depends on that boss, if he is cool, most probably he wont do anything, but those are difficult to find.
 
OP
quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
I didn't confess to any wrong doings in those chats. Its just some critical remarks against the boss character and one instance where i used a pejorarive against him and referred to him as a "pig" - he had taken a screenshot of this and was trying to threaten me yesterday like i said earlier.

Also i referred to the boss using a nickname but not his real name.But he had inferred from the context of those chats that i had talked about him.

Btw that chap is also not a saint by any means and he too had slandered the head guy on many previous occasions and referred to him in extremely lewd and vulgar language in front of our colleagues (using words that are usually spoken by the lowbrow folks in our society) . However we have no recorded proof of this thus its only my word against his.

He is a toxic and vindictive character, and in the past had engaged in abusive behaviour with another female colleague of ours and she had resigned from her post as she could no longer put up with his misdemeanours. She had also complained to our boss against him but that chap being totally corrupt himself took no action against that scumbag and brushed the matter under the carpet.And now this b@stard has me in his sights and wants to get rid of me by any means.

I am currently going through a troublesome phase of my life and have several serious problems relating to my family etc. And this incident is perhaps the final nail in the coffin. I don't know how i will survive this. Getting a job is also really difficult at this stage.
 

K_akash_i

Journeyman
These type of guys want to see u worried , and that gives them dope rush --ur boss also on his side , he'd prolly fire u and b4 that insult u to a greater intensity ,Its better to make up ur mind on resigning from a toxic job environment such as this.Staying there would do u more harm.
 

Desmond

Destroy Erase Improve
Staff member
Admin
I was going to suggest complaining to the HR for harassment but given your own comments on your boss, it might backfire for you as well.

I think like others suggested, it might be more suitable to complain to the police under grounds of harassment. But then again I am not a lawyer so can't really say how this might help. Perhaps @vidhubhushan can advise?
 
OP
quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
The boss is actually quite scared of the upper management and usually tries to stay in their good graces all the time. Also he tries to avoid getting into any controversy or problem that might sully his reputation in their eyes.

The fellow that is trying to frame me is an ungrateful SOB. He had taken many favours from me in the past under various pretexts and had even convinced me to share some of his duties in order to reduce his workload - and he had requested me to keep such matters confidential lest he should get into any kind of trouble for flunking his responsibilities and duties. And i had done everything for him unquestionably, and he rewards me today by a complete betrayal and such rampant abuse!

I don't know what will happen, but if things get out of hand & end up in the hands of the upper management, i have decided to report whatever i know about his misdemeanours and offenses to them and see how they deal with it then.(although he will probably deny everything)
 
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vidhubhushan

Alakh Niranjan
@quicky008 considering working of private sector and your boss against you, it is a gone case. you can file a case for intrusion of privacy and say he hacked / cracked your password which is illegal but that will not work in favour of you as per my experience of private sector as people there always go against you later as soon as they can. top bosses / management in most of these places i have seen / heard are least bothered about employees or working condition. the court case can be dragged for years by any sly advocate for various reasons which will frustrate you though if you hire a good lawyer, it may be decided soon even within 2-3 months but as per my experience it will not help you in your current organization. everyone knows that juniors hurl abuses at seniors but no one wants to see it open in which case some punishment is certain.
it is unfortunate but you made a mistake of leaving the computer unlocked. imho it is better to look for a new job and leave without creating any furore as that might impact your future prospects as almost every private sector person i have encountered, wants to hire a nocontroversial person.
hope everything gets better soon for you.
 
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quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
@quicky008 everyone knows that juniors hurl abuses at seniors but no one wants to see it open in which case some punishment is certain.
it is unfortunate but you made a mistake of leaving the computer unlocked. imho it is better to look for a new job and leave without creating any furore as that might impact your future prospects as almost every private sector person i have encountered, wants to hire a nocontroversial person.
hope everything gets better soon for you.
nothing was done in the open,it was a private chat that he accessed without permission with the intent of committing blackmail and harassment.
 

vidhubhushan

Alakh Niranjan
nothing was done in the open,it was a private chat that he accessed without permission with the intent of committing blackmail and harassment.
by open i mean, if the chat is shown to others / made public.
it was private but a counter argument is that since you left your computer and the chat open, someone saw it but he did not hack your computer. you can file a case and try to get that person punished but as already said, as per my experience, the chats will go against you and boss will take some action. no matter what anyone says, private sector working in bad specially in academic institutions. i have personally known many cases where girls are sexually harassed, even forced for sex and they do it to retain their job.
All this can be twisted in favour or against someone but in the end, it will not be beneficial given your situation. if someone comes to me with this situation, i will suggest the person the same what i suggested you. there is no point in getting into something which will be harmful for you in one way or another.
 
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quicky008

quicky008

Technomancer
i dont know what awaits me.....i am really exhausted from all this worry and anxiety.

However if circumstances become so dire that i am unable to continue working,can i submit a written complaint to the HR before resigning with an account of what transpired and how that chap tried to blackmail me and even tried to assault me physically.In that case will any disciplinary action be taken against him?
 

K_akash_i

Journeyman
I dont think the world would be much fair.Dont expect any actions against him, but u should do what u can(like a formal complaint,without any expectations-just so u feel u've done what u can) and then should probably not keep tabs on the matter . I'd again say that keep 0 expectations on ur side would be better for u.Nothing ever lasts neither ur anxiety nor other's joy.
 
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