Patna: YouTuber Manish Kashyap, wanted by the Bihar Police for allegedly sharing fake videos of "attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu", surrendered before the law enforcers in West Champaran district on Saturday.
Who is Manish Kashyap?
35-year-old Tripurari Kumar Tiwari aka Manish Kashyap runs a YouTube news channel called Sach Tak News. The channel was started in July 2018. An engineer by profession, Kashyap is a graduate from SPPU, Pune. He hails from Dumri Mahanwa Pashchim Champaran. Kashyap ha contested elections as an independent candidate in 2020 from Chanpatia. He is also hailed as 'son of Bihar'.
His channel has 6.4 million subscribers. The channel has nearly 4,000 videos. Kashyap can be seen reporting from ground in various videos against the Bihar government.
Warrant arrest against Kashyap
Manish Kashyap had shared a video of assault on Bihar migrant labourers from Tamil Nadu which had turned out to be fake. After this, a warrant was issued against the YouTuber journalist for spreading fake new.
Kashyap says there's 'Jungle raaj' in Bihar under CM Nitish Kumar and Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav. Kashyap claims a lot of prominent people had tweeted the fake video but action was taken against him as the govt is targeting him for pointing out mistakes of the ruling party.
Amid his arrest warrant, a video also show songs sung by one of his fans in his support. His own channel (Sach Tak news) has covered the news.
Watch video:
Kashyap's supporters have gathered outside the police station in huge numbers and are demanding his release.
Watch video here:
EOU registers 3 cases against Kashyap
The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has registered three cases against Kashyap and others on the charges of "indulging in spreading fake videos of migrants being killed and beaten up in Tamil Nadu on social media".
The EOU has also frozen four bank accounts belonging to Kashyap.
"Kashyap, wanted by Bihar Police and Tamil Nadu Police in fake news matter of labourers issue in the southern state, surrendered before the police on Saturday fearing arrest and attachment of his belongings," a statement issued by the EOU said.
"Six teams constituted by the EOU along with Patna and Champaran Police were continuously conducting raids on his locations at various places and hideouts since yesterday (Friday). He surrendered at Jagdishpur police station of Bettiah on Saturday fearing arrest and other legal action," it added.
The EOU had on March 6 registered its first FIR in connection with the case and booked four persons, including Kashyap.
EOU sleuths have already also arrested Aman Kumar from Jamui in connection with its investigation into the first FIR. Those named in that FIR included Aman Kumar, Rakesh Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh Rajput and Manish Kashyap.
J S Gangwar, Additional Director General of Bihar Police (Headquarters), had told reporters last week that the EOU probe has found that 30 fake videos of migrants getting beaten up and killed in Tamil Nadu were widely shared on social media, spreading panic among the labourers and forcing them to flee the southern state.
13 cases by Tamil Nadu police
The Tamil Nadu Police has also registered 13 cases to probe the matter.
Earlier, the Bihar government had also sent a four-member team of top officials to Tamil Nadu to coordinate with officers who were investigating the matter in the southern state.
(with PTI inputs)
