Nagpur: The cyber police have booked local leader Fahim Khan, a key accused in the Nagpur violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media during the unrest here, officials said on Thursday.
These six persons are among 50 accused against whom the cyber department has registered four First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the violence here on Monday, they said.
The cyber crime department has also asked for information from Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube authorities about 230 profiles on their platforms and sought for them to be blocked, DCP Cyber Crime Lohit Matani said at a press briefing here.
As soon as the department gets the information, the accused will be identified and arrested, he said.
The official said their probe has indicated that misinformation was spread initially after some videos were shared on social media, which fuelled violence further and then more videos “glorified the violence”.
Six persons, including Minority Democratic Party (MDP) city head Fahim Khan, have been booked for sedition in the cyber police’s FIRs, Matani said.
Rumours about a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb, located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, was the prima facie trigger for violence on Monday.
Thirty-three police personnel, including three DCP-rank officers, were injured on Monday night when mobs went on a rampage, damaging vehicles, hurling petrol bombs and stones at police, and attacking houses.
Matani said Khan edited a video of a protest against Aurangzeb’s tomb, and circulated it (on social media) and he had also shared videos of “glorification of the violence”.
The four FIRs have been registered in connection with the creation of provocative videos of protest against Aurangzeb’s tomb and their circulation to instigate violence.
Besides, clippings of violence were shared (on social media) to incite more riots. Also, indecent posts were shared which further instigated the violence, and videos of the riots and chants (made by some people) were glorified to trigger more violence, Matani said referring to the FIRs.
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