MUMBAI: In a constant crackdown on those spreading fake and misleading messages on social media, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has registered 132 offences, of which 79 were related to WhatsApp, while those related to Facebook and Telegram were 24 and 23, respectively.
All the accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act, with 35 arrests already made. Various messages have been doing the rounds on social media, either spreading fake news over the Internet or trying to lure people.
However, Balsing Rajput, superintendent of police (Cyber) said, when one clicks on the link given in the message, it directs them to a malicious webpage, where the contents clearly state it's a hoax website, they only need to keep a close eye on their online activities.
The data revealed, maximum number of cases are in Beed district with 16 such instances, followed by Kolhapur and Pune Rural with 13 and 11 cases, respectively. Mumbai does not lag far behind in the list with 9 cases. Rajput said, "In the last four days, there has been an increase in hate speech and communal crimes over social media.
WhatsApp and Facebook are mostly used for these activities." In the light of WhatsApp being largely used as a medium to share fake news, the state cyber cell issued a brief advisory regarding the responsibilities every WhatsApp user and admin should take. The advisory states, the admin of every group member should be reliable and responsible enough to share only verified news and serious consequences will follow for posting objectionable content.
Furthermore, it stated that the law enforcement agency will take stern action against anyone who spreads rumours and causes a state of panic and unrest between religious communities in this state of crisis.
