A day after Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Ranjan Swain said that they have decided to bring a law to deal with misuse of social media for instigation, Police in Srinagar took cognisance and initiated legal action against six persons for propagation of false information on social media platforms.
The Police appealed to the people to desist from posting any material that would lead to instigation and breach of peace.
“Srinagar Police and Cyber Police Kashmir have taken cognisance against six persons for the propagation of false information, instigative content inciting disaffection and anti-social propaganda on social media platforms. Legal action under relevant sections of law has been taken,” Srinagar Police said in a post on X. “People are appealed to desist from posting, sharing, and propagating instigative and provocative content, misinformation, anti-social propaganda and rumour mongering @KashmirPolice @DIGCKRSGR.”
Sources in Police said that more people were under the radar and activity on social media was being monitored.
On Thursday, DGP R R Swain said that posting any content on social media that promotes disharmony would be a criminal offence in J&K.
He said that a new provision under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) would be introduced into effect.
“Posting such messages or videos by terrorists, separatists, or anti-national elements will be a crime,” he said. “Under (Section) 144 CrPC, we have decided to bring a law on the posting of any type of content – message, video, audio – which will instigate communal disharmony and terrorise or threaten anyone.
“Whether they are terrorists, separatists, or anti-national elements, posting such messages and videos will be a crime as per the law.”
The DGP said that before the law was enacted it would be placed in the public domain for feedback.
He said that those forwarding and sharing such content would also face legal consequences.
Swain had urged people to report such content to the nearest police station.
“People who post videos, including those aimed to harm the respect of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and those who forward it will be committing a crime,” he said. “We will index such people, ensuring they face disadvantages for having done such a thing.”
