Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya. File photo
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Haveri district police have booked Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representing Bengaluru South constituency, for spreading ‘fake news’. Editors of two Kannada online news portals were also booked in the case.
Also read:Waqf row in Karnataka: Of land ownership and beyond
Mr. Surya had posted on X on Thursday: “A farmer in Haveri commits suicide after finding his land taken over by Waqf! In their haste to appease minorities CM Siddaramaiah and minister B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan have unleashed catastrophic effects in Karnataka that are becoming impossible to contain with every passing day”. He also posted links of a news story claiming this from the news portal Kannada Duniya.
Hours later, Superintendent of Police, Haveri district issued a press release fact checking the news. “The said farmer Rudrappa, 24, Haranagiri village, Hangal taluk, Haveri district ended his life on January 6, 2022. His father had given a statement to the police probing that case that Rudrappa had taken loans of ₹7 Lakh and suffered extensive crop damage due to excessive rains, pushing him to take the extreme step,” statement from Haveri district police said.
Following this, Haveri Cybercrime, Economic and Narcotic offences (CEN) Police registered a FIR against Mr. Surya, editors of two Kannada portals Kannada Duniya and Kannada News that had published this news story, for spreading fake news, based on a complaint by Sunil Huchannavar, a constable working in the Social Media Monitoring Cell at SP, Haveri office.
The three have been booked under Section 353(2) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for publishing or circulating false information..with intent to create or promote, or which is likely to create or prompt, enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community. A conviction can lead to imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Mr. Surya has deleted the said post from his X timeline after the FIR.
Published – November 08, 2024 10:21 am IST