'Attack' on migrant workers: Tamil Nadu Police book BJP leader, journalists and others for spreading fake news

ANI

Chennai, March 5

Officials of Tamil Nadu Police have booked four persons, including journalists and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in connection with the spreading of “false” news over an attack on Bihar-based migrant labourers, creating statewide panic.

A case has been registered against Prashant Umrao, a BJP spokesperson and a lawyer in Supreme Court, a Dainik Bhaskar Editor, and a Patna-based journalist Mohammad Tanvir, police said.

A statewide panic was created among migrant workers, working in Tamil Nadu, after several purported videos, showing attacks on migrant workers, circulated on social media.

The panic was triggered after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, raised concerns and took note of the purported videos of “attacks”.

Kumar directed the state’s chief secretary and DGP to speak to officials in the Tamil Nadu government and ensure the safety of labourers from his state.

The panic affected the industries in Tamil Nadu, which rely on migrant workers, badly as many workers stayed off work.

Taking cognizance of the panic, Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police Sylendra Babu released a statement, saying that the video doing rounds of social media was “false” and “mischievous”.

“Somebody in Bihar posted false and mischievous videos saying that migrant workers were attacked in Tamil Nadu. Two videos were posted. Both are false as these incidents happened at an earlier date in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. One was a clash between two groups of migrant workers from Bihar while another was from a clash between two local residents in Coimbatore,” the top cop said.

The police also said that the persons behind this rumour-driven panic will not be spared.

“We won’t leave anybody for spreading fake news”, DGP Sylendra Babu told ANI.

Now, in a response to the incident, Tamil Nadu police have booked four persons in different districts of the southern state.

As per Tamil Nadu’s DGP, a case under 153(A), 505(i)(b) sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against the Dainik Bhaskar Editor in Tiruppur North Police Station, and a case under several sections against Prashant Umrao [BJP spokesperson] have been registered at Tuticorin Central Police Station.

“Apart from this, Mohammed Tanvir, owner of the Twitter handle ‘Tanvir Post’, and another Shubam Sukhla have also been booked in the case,” a statement from DGP added.

According to Police Officials, “as a part of the investigation, Tamil Nadu Police teams have also been left for Delhi and Bihar from respective police stations, where cases have been registered.” DGP has ordered to form special team to arrest the absconders.