Sharing fake news or rumours through WhatsApp can land the group admin behind the bars, said Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar.
Citing an example of Sunday’s stone pelting between two communities in Amberpet, Mr Kumar has warned that tough action will be taken against WhatsApp group admins for spreading and not deleting rumours.
“Yesterday, I have come across several old videos and messages which can potentially trigger tension and even communal strife in the city. However, our teams across the city were on ‘high alert’ to avoid any untoward incident,” he said here on Monday.
Raising concern over the spreading of messages, which are not authentic, the Commissioner said that action will be taken against those who post or forward such news without cross-checking.
Asked about the current situation in Amberpet, Mr Kumar said that additional force was deployed on the spot and the situation was under control. “Yesterday, three police officers, including an inspector suffered injuries in stone pelting and two cases were booked,” he said.
On Sunday evening construction of a temporary place of worship on disputed land in Amberpet led to clashes between two communities.