Jhansi (UP), February 11 Police have registered a criminal case against several social media users for allegedly circulating "false and misleading information" claiming that explosives were recovered from a mosque in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the police, the false claim was circulated on various social media platforms, prompting authorities to take strict action.
SP City Preeti Singh said that since Tuesday, some social media users have been spreading "false and misleading information" about explosives being found at a mosque in the city.
She said that a similar incident had occurred on January 25 when an Instagram channel, indianewslive-del, posted a video with a "communal and misleading caption".
However, Singh clarified that the video in question was actually from January 17, when a team of the Jhansi Municipal Corporation had closed shops in Islamganj in the Premnagar police station area due to non-payment of municipal dues.
"The video was from the time when the municipal corporation team was shutting shops of traders who had not deposited pending fees. It had no connection with any mosque or explosives," she said.
The police had taken immediate cognisance of the January 25 post, issued a rebuttal, and registered a case under relevant sections against the user concerned, Singh added.
She further said that on February 10, the same misleading video was again circulated on the social media platform X by several accounts without verification.
"Taking cognisance of the matter, an FIR has been registered at the Premnagar police station under relevant sections, and strict punitive action is being initiated," Singh said.
She warned that "strictest action" would be taken against anti-social elements involved in spreading misleading videos.
