Two journalists arrested for spreading ‘misinformation’

Kolkata: Two journalists of a vernacular news channel on YouTube were arrested on Tuesday by the cops of Lake Town Police Station for allegedly spreading misinformation by twisting the facts “to create confusion and chaos in the locality”.

They were produced at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (ACJM) Court, Bidhannagar and subsequently granted bail. According to police, a video footage was uploaded on a social media platform where the anchor was seen claiming that an idol of Goddess Kali was vandalised by a section of people belonging to a particular community in Dakshindari area of Lake Town. In the same video footage, a violent situation was also shown claiming it was in the Rajabazar area. Millennium Post has not verified the authenticity of such footage.

The video was uploaded on November 2. After it came to light, police started a preliminary enquiry before acting against the online news portal journalists. On November 3, a suo motu case was registered at the Lake Town police station and an appeal was submitted at the Bidhannagar Court for a search warrant.

After the warrant was issued, police conducted a search operation at the office of the said news channel and arrested the anchor Pankaj Biswas and another person identified as Ananyo Gupta for deliberate and malafide intent to spread misinformation, complete distortion and twisting of facts thereby creating confusion and chaos.

“The matter is under investigation. The video shot by the duo could trigger a law and order problem...” a police officer told a news agency.

He said a computer and a few other items were seized during Tuesday’s raid. It may be mentioned that earlier Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had warned of fake campaigns over social media in an attempt to create unrest during the festive season. Her apprehensions have come to be true in connection with two incidents in two parts in Kolkata- at Narkeldanga and West Port where Kolkata Police had stated on social media that both these incidents were fabricated.