In the aftermath of the mob lynching of Ashraf in Kudupu, Mangaluru City Police have booked three separate cases related to the online spread of false and inflammatory content aimed at triggering communal unrest.
Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal revealed that misleading narratives were being actively circulated on social media by certain individuals and groups with the clear intention of disturbing peace. “False claims and provocative posts have been shared to create divisions and panic in the community,” he stated.
One FIR was lodged at the Konaje police station under Sections 192, 353(1), and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This was linked to a WhatsApp post in the group ‘BEARY MUSLIM ARMY’ falsely asserting that the weapon used in Ashraf’s murder—a bat stump—had been recovered, and casting aspersions about the culprits.
A second case was filed at Barke police station under Section 353(2) of BNS concerning a deceptive Instagram post on the handle ‘Beary-royal-nawab’, which allegedly misinformed the public regarding the incident.
The third case, registered at Kankanady Town police station under Section 353(1)(b) of BNS, pertains to incendiary content shared in the WhatsApp group ‘Maikallo Beary’. Zakir Hussain from Munnur village in Ullal taluk has been identified as the person responsible for the post.
Agrawal reaffirmed that the police are fully committed to maintaining public peace and will deal firmly with those who spread fake news or provoke discord.
- Mangaluru police crack down on fake social media posts after lynching incident
- CPI(M) accuses Mangaluru Police of covering up mob lynching incident in Kudupu
#FakeNewsAlert #KudupuLynching #MangaluruPolice #SocialMediaMisuse