In his address at a public event, film actor Akshay Kumar on Friday (October 3, 2025) urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to introduce a weekly “Cyber Period” for students from Class 7 to 10, sharing a personal experience, in which his daughter was asked to share a nude photo while playing an online video game on her mobile phone. 

“A few months ago, my daughter received a congratulatory message from a stranger while playing an online video game. After a few messages, he asked her for her gender. When she replied ‘female’, he asked for nude pictures. In response, she switched off the game and informed her mother,” recalled Mr. Kumar at a cyber safety awareness programme in Mumbai. 

Mr. Kumar was highlighting the growing threat of cybercrime during the inaugural ceremony of Cyber Awareness Month 2025 at the Maharashtra Police Headquarters, where Mr. Fadnavis, Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla, film actor Rani Mukherjee and other senior officials were also present. 

Calling for mandatory cyber safety lectures, Mr. Kumar highlighted the urgent need to raise awareness and educate children on how to stay safe while navigating the digital world. 

Mr. Fadnavis, who also holds the Home Ministry portfolio, focused on challenges to prevent cybercrimes, saying there is a need to spread awareness about cybercrime and scams like digital arrest. 

“The prevention of cybercrime is of utmost importance. While catching the perpetrators is important, reversing the financial losses and emotional trauma is far more difficult. So, raising awareness is necessary,” said Mr. Fadnavis, adding that many survivors of cybercrime hesitate to report due to the fear of social stigma. 

‘Awareness is the solution’

Mentioning the types of cybercrime, including using AI, deepfakes, phishing, OTP scams, voice and face cloning and more, Mr. Fadnavis said, “The solution is awareness. Using information from social media and online transactions leads to scams, extortion, and cyberbullying.” 

He asked citizens to stay “vigilant” and to file complaints promply. He also acknowledged the infrastructure, such as cyber security labs and response centres, that the government has been setting up for immediate action after a crime occurs.