Bantwal: Authorities at the Bantwal Rural Police Station have officially registered two cases related to the spread of misleading and fabricated information that falsely claimed a sword attack on two Muslim men in Sajipa, Dakshina Kannada district.
The viral headline, stating “Sword attack continues again in Dakshina Kannada district; an attack on two innocent Muslims who were returning home from work in Sajipa,” drew public attention and concern across social media platforms. However, officials have dismissed the claim as baseless.
Following a complaint from an individual unrelated to the reported incident, the police initiated legal proceedings. The first case, Crime No. 75/2025, has been filed against the news outlet D TV Kannada under Section 240 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint accuses the outlet of creating panic and disturbing public order by publishing unverified and false content. Court permission was obtained prior to registering the case, and investigations are currently underway.
In a separate but related case, authorities also booked an individual operating a Facebook account named Muhammad Naushad for circulating similar misinformation. This case has been registered as Crime No. 76/2025, also under Section 240 BNS, and is currently being investigated.
Officials have urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified news and warned that legal consequences will follow the spread of provocative or false information.