Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Ayodhya Nagar police on Saturday registered an FIR against a social media user for allegedly spreading a rumor related to child kidnapping gang through an old viral Instagram video.
Ayodhya Nagar police station incharge Mahesh Lilhare said an Instagram user with a name ‘Prithvi Banna’ posted a video on Saturday claiming that a child thief had been caught.
During verification, police found that the video was actually from August 2019 and the claims made in it were false.
Investigations revealed that the incident occurred near a toll plaza in Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh, where a minor boy waiting for transport was mistakenly accused of being a child kidnapper by local youths under the influence of alcohol.
The boy was assaulted, tied to a pole and forced to falsely confess on camera. Police later confirmed that the boy had no connection with Bhopal.
Lilhare said that circulation of such misleading content created fear, tension and social unrest. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
