Alappuzha political murders: Kerala DGP to take strict action against social media admins spreading hate

 

Thiruvananthapuram: In view of the recent back-to-back murders of two political activists in the state, Kerala DGP Anil Kant directed district police chiefs on Friday to take stringent action against those spreading fake news and false messages through social media and the admins of such platforms who allow discussions on them.

 

‘It has been noticed that several messages, inciting communal hatred, are being circulated through social media after the murders of the BJP functionary Ranjith Sreenivas and SDPI’s K S Shan earlier this week’, the Kerala DGP said in a statement. ‘The admins of social media groups who permit discussions (inciting communal hatred) will be booked. The cyber wing of the state police has been asked to intensify its surveillance in all districts to check such propaganda’, he said. He added that not just those directly involved in the murders, but also its perpetrators, those provided them with weapons, phones and logistics support would be nabbed at the earliest, asserting that action would be taken to find the source of money of criminal gangs.

 

Police on Thursday made it clear that as many as 30 cases had been registered across the state in the last five days against some people for spreading provocative messages through social media platforms in a manner that incites communal hatred. The DGP also directed to prepare a list of criminals and history-sheeters belonging to both groups on a district-level and arrest the absconding criminals and also ensure that those released on bail are not violating the bail conditions. One person was arrested in a case registered by the West Police in Kollam district in this regard, an official statement said.

 

Also read: 5 RSS activists arrested over SDPI leader Shan’s murder

Shan, the state secretary of SDPI, was killed by a gang on Saturday night while he was on his way home in Alappuzha. Hours later, the BJP OBC Morcha state secretary Sreenivas was hacked to death in front of his family by some assailants in his house on Sunday morning in the same district.