- A video of Kathmandu, Nepal, showing protesters demonstrating against the police in front of a herbal medicine manufacturing factory was being falsely circulated on social media as the “plight” of a community in Bengal.
- A footage from Tilabazar in Unakoti district of Tripura of protests was falsely circulated as Murshidabad riots in Bengal.
Several such misinformation has been spotted in cyberspace, which the cyber crime cell of Bengal police is trying to verify and publish a rectification to curb the spread of false news.
Officers of the Bengal police said, given the sensitivity of the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, it has to be kept in mind that posts that could spur communal tension or falsely project India or Bengal in a poor light would be targeted by the police.
The police has issued guidelines on sharing information related to national security.
A post on the police’s social media handle mentions that our brave soldiers guard our border. It is our duty to protect our country’s cyberspace.
“We are encouraging people to stick to official facts, which are being shared only through the official channels of dissemination of information. We insist that people should verify any information with official sources before spreading or circulating it. Also, if we come across any fake news, we must report it to the police immediately,” said a senior police officer.
The city police have asked the Calcuttans to report any suspicious posts or fake news to the national cybercrime portal or to Kolkata Police.
“Any post that with the possibility of causing communal unrest, can give away secret details of official matters, or can harm the national sovereignty will be pulled down and the person behind it will be taken to task,” said an officer of Bengal police.
Since the inception of Operation Sindoor — a response from the Indian government against the terror attack in Pahalgam — the world has witnessed a plethora of fake news being circulated, often as a part of false propaganda.
The security agencies and the administration have been on alert against such false information.
“If anyone from Bengal is found behind such posts, strict action would be taken,” said a senior cop.
Officers said the elderly often fail to verify whether a post is fake or genuine and fall prey to fake news can also verify their doubts by calling the cybercrime helpline or the Pronam Helpline.
“At any cost, we do not want any panic generated by fake news. For that, we request everyone to be alert and do their part,” said an officer of the rank of joint commissioner of Kolkata Police.