Esha's Final Days : The Tragic Timeline of TikToker Esha's Harassment and Death

The recent death of Rajeswary Appahu, also known as Esha, has deeply affected Malaysians, particularly her own community. Esha, a social media influencer, teacher, and active activist, faced relentless harassment during a LIVE session on TikTok over several weeks. The young lass continued to suffer until she could no longer bear the cyberbullying.

Having said that, the 29-year-old influencer, reported that one individual used her photo and made several threats to "rape and kill" as well as "injure" her. Many viewers of the session also abused her. The incident has raised serious concerns about the nature of the world we live in.

Esha’s father, P. Appahu, a temple caretaker, expressed his bewilderment:

“She was a very strong person. I can’t understand why this happened.”

In a case that has sparked outrage and shone a spotlight on cyberbullying in Malaysia, here is the chronology of events leading to Esha’s tragic death:

July 4th

• Rajeswary Appahu, known as Esha, lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police station over alleged rape and death threats by two individuals on TikTok.

July 5th

• Esha was found dead in her PPR Flat unit the next day.

July 6th

• Police received a report from a 39-year-old man about threats made against Esha through the TikTok application.
• According to Astro Awani, the complainant alleged that he saw two TikTok postings by two accounts, which allegedly defamed and threatened Rajeswary.
• The TikTok accounts used pictures of Esha in their background for the videos, and foul language was used. Police found that the allegations and defamation reported were based on screenshots submitted by the complainant, but the posts were suspected to have been deleted by the account owners.

July 7th

• Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil visited the victim's family and expressed his disappointment and anger over the incident. He stressed that those responsible must be brought to justice and informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
• The issue of cyberbullying on social media platforms will be presented to the Cabinet to find the best solution, including legal and enforcement aspects. The Prime Minister had requested a presentation on the incident involving Esha.
• Fahmi emphasized the need for action and potential amendments to current laws to address weaknesses.

Luluh hati seorang ibu melihat jasad anaknya tak bernyawa.

Rajeswary Appahu, 29 tahun, telah mengambil nyawanya sendiri selepas dipercayai tertekan akibat dibuli beberapa individu dengan komen-komen jelik di TikTok.

Saya amat kecewa dan marah dengan apa yang berlaku.

Mereka… pic.twitter.com/GWbI3AwjoP

— Fahmi Fadzil ?? (@fahmi_fadzil) July 7, 2024

July 8th

• Police arrested a 35-year-old woman at 1:45 am at the Bukit Beruntung Golf Resort in Rawang. She is being held on remand at the Sentul police headquarters until July 10 to assist in the investigation.
• Esha's friend named three individuals in a report, detailing how these individuals allegedly harassed Esha on TikTok.

With that being said, the case is being investigated under:

Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation, which provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both; Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which provides for up to a year in prison, a fine up to RM50,000 or both; Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 for insulting behaviour, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM100.


Source : Astro Awani, Bernama, Sinar Daily, The Star