Mumbai: The Maharashtra Cyber Department has made its first arrest in connection with the online harassment of actor Akshay Kumar’s 13-year-old daughter, who was targeted while using an online gaming platform.

Incident highlighted during Cyber Awareness Month event

The actor had earlier shared details of the troubling episode in October last year at the inaugural ceremony of Cyber Awareness Month 2025, held at the State Police Headquarters in Mumbai.

Recalling the incident, Kumar described how his daughter had been playing a multiplayer video game that allows interaction with unknown users. He explained that such platforms often begin with polite exchanges.

“My daughter was playing a video game. There are some video games that you can play with someone, you are playing with an unknown stranger. When you are playing, you get a message saying, ‘Thank you, that was great’ or ‘You are doing so good’, very courteous messages. Suddenly, the person said, ‘Where are you from?’ She wrote, ‘Mumbai’. And then everything was normal again. The person told her, ‘Well played. You did very well’. Very courteous, it felt respectful,” he said.

Conversation turns inappropriate

Kumar further revealed that during the interaction, the stranger asked his daughter about her gender.

“She replied, ‘Female’. It went on. And then, he sent a message, ‘Can you send me a nude picture of yours?’ My daughter, she switched off the whole thing. She went and told my wife. It was great that she went and spoke to my wife about it. This is how things begin. This is also a part of cyber crime. People and children get carried away. Extortion money has to be given. There are many cases of suicides. In the digital world, it is very important that our children learn about this,” he added.

Call for cyber awareness in schools

The actor also urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to introduce regular awareness sessions in schools to address the growing threat of cyber crime.

“You all know that this crime is becoming bigger than street crime. It is very important to stop this crime,” Kumar said, stressing the need for consistent education in a rapidly evolving digital environment.

Clip used in awareness drive

The video of Kumar speaking about the incident was recently played during a cyber awareness session held at a Mumbai college. The programme aimed to educate students about online risks and promote safer digital behaviour.

During the session, participants were informed about ways to prevent online financial fraud, ensure safety on social media platforms, recognise phishing attempts, and deal with cyber bullying.