Zara Khan, actor Salma Agha's daughter, was so traumatised by the obscene threat messages she had been receiving since October, that she had locked herself up in her house and stopped going to work. The Oshiwara police on Monday seized the mobile phone of the Hyderabad-based accused who allegedly sent the obscene and threatening messages to Khan. Sunday mid-day had reported that Khan had registered a complaint with the Oshiwara police after receiving the threats.

Khan, who is also an actress and singer, told mid-day that for over a month she was in trauma after receiving many such messages. Khan believed that the accused was a man from Mumbai and he followed her every day.

However, the Oshiwara police found the accused is a woman from Hyderabad. She was identified as 23-year-old Noorah Saravar, a student. She was slapped with a notice by Oshiwara police to appear in court on December 12. They are still investigating the motive behind the messages.

Khan said, "From October I have been receiving abusive and obscene messages on my Instagram page from four different accounts. I didn't reply to any of them, but later I got death threats from them. I was scared and locked myself at home. I also stopped working and avoided social media. Then my relatives also started receiving such messages on their social media accounts. After a month, I registered a complaint."

She further said, "Instagram should put some restrictions in their application for the safety of women."

Zone 9 DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said, "We sent a notice to the accused to appear in court and will record her statement. She has told us that she sent the messages due to some personal reasons."

Earlier Oshiwara police had registered the case under Sections 354 (a) (making sexually coloured remarks), 354 (b) (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the India Penal Code (IPC) and Information Technology Act 67 (a) (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc.

However, when the Oshiwara police found that the accused is a woman, they removed sections 354 (a) and 354 (b).