Murshidabad: Police blocks ‘fake profiles’ on social media spreading ‘fake news’

Kolkata: West Bengal Police on Thursday alleged that several posts are being made using a good number of fake profiles on Facebook and other social media platforms which are intended to incite communal hatred.

On Thursday West Bengal Police wrote on its X handle: “It has come to our attention that some fake profiles on Facebook and other social media platforms are claiming to be residents of Murshidabad by mentioning various locations within the district. These profiles are spreading anti-national comments and inciting communal hatred.

Appropriate legal actions are being taken against all such profiles. Many accounts have already been blocked and more are being blocked. We earnestly request everyone not to share or forward any such provocative messages that spread mistrust and hatred among people and disturb communal harmony.” A top brass in the state police said that all those profiles using which such instigating messages were getting spread, have been blocked. In several cases the profile owners and operators have been summoned and multiple cases have been registered.

During the violence in Samserganj, Suti and Raghunathganj areas police had suspended the Internet connectivity to prevent spreading of fake information. After the resumption of the Internet services, initially the situation was under control and no significant issues regarding fake news or information was spotted.

Recently, several posts were made from multiple profiles on Facebook and other social media platforms with almost similar statements regarding the violence which are “false”.

While checking, several social media profiles were found with such “fake news”. Fearing that such posts might instigate violence again, police approached the appropriate authorities to block those profiles. It was noticed that in almost all the posts, the profile owners claimed themselves as residents of multiple places in Murshidabad but the IP addresses were not from the district. Meanwhile, so far, the arrest figure has reached 306 in 153 cases registered in Samserganj, Suti and Raghunathganj police stations. Six persons were detained on Monday from Jharsuguda in Odisha who had fled after the violence. Later, they were arrested.