BHUBANESWAR: The commissionerate police moved the state crime branch, seeking probe against some hatemongers, who were circulating fake messages related to Covid-19 on social media. Though the city police have the expertise to probe cyber crimes, they roped in the crime branch as the former is busy in hectic lockdown duty.
“We found that four or five persons were indulged in hatemongering on Facebook and Twitter. They ignored our warnings and continued with their criminal intent. We have written to the crime branch and requested their cyber cell to trace the culprits,” a senior police officer told TOI on condition of anonymity.
Before referring the case to the crime branch, some cyber experts of the commissionerate police unsuccessfully tried to ascertain the identities of those, who were circulating the hate messages. “We suspect that the accused gave their fake addresses and claimed themselves as residents of Bhubaneswar. Their offence appears to have state-wide ramification. Since almost all of our personnel have been mobilized on lockdown enforcement duty, we could not get time to trace the accused,” the officer said.
While the crime branch said they would investigate the case, police suspect that such circulation of hate messages may go up in near future when thousands of Odia people stranded in other states return Odisha after the end of the lockdown on May 3. Notably, the state police have so far registered over 1500 cases related to the circulation of fake messages on Covid-19 in last one month. A large number of people have been arrested.
“We have been sensitizing people to refrain from spreading fake and communally sensitive messages related to Covid-19 on social media. Advisories were issued to SPs to keep track on such cyber crooks and take prompt action against them,” additional director general of police (crime branch) Soumendra Priyadarshi said. A few days ago, the crime branch also issued an advisory, asking people to remain alert against cyber frauds, who have been cheating buyers on fake e-commerce sites.
“We found that four or five persons were indulged in hatemongering on Facebook and Twitter. They ignored our warnings and continued with their criminal intent. We have written to the crime branch and requested their cyber cell to trace the culprits,” a senior police officer told TOI on condition of anonymity.
Before referring the case to the crime branch, some cyber experts of the commissionerate police unsuccessfully tried to ascertain the identities of those, who were circulating the hate messages. “We suspect that the accused gave their fake addresses and claimed themselves as residents of Bhubaneswar. Their offence appears to have state-wide ramification. Since almost all of our personnel have been mobilized on lockdown enforcement duty, we could not get time to trace the accused,” the officer said.
While the crime branch said they would investigate the case, police suspect that such circulation of hate messages may go up in near future when thousands of Odia people stranded in other states return Odisha after the end of the lockdown on May 3. Notably, the state police have so far registered over 1500 cases related to the circulation of fake messages on Covid-19 in last one month. A large number of people have been arrested.
“We have been sensitizing people to refrain from spreading fake and communally sensitive messages related to Covid-19 on social media. Advisories were issued to SPs to keep track on such cyber crooks and take prompt action against them,” additional director general of police (crime branch) Soumendra Priyadarshi said. A few days ago, the crime branch also issued an advisory, asking people to remain alert against cyber frauds, who have been cheating buyers on fake e-commerce sites.
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