J&K police book Facebook users for spreading rumours of deaths

Jammu and Kashmir police have registered a case against rumour-mongers who spread false information on social networking websites about casualties in the recent protests in the Valley.

“Police have registered a case against all those involved in trying to vitiate the atmosphere by spreading rumours about deaths,” inspector general of police, Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir said.

Many people, including hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s son Syed Naseem, had on Sunday posted on Facebook the “news” about the death of a boy in police firing in Sumbal area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, which turned out to be false.

The IGP said police have registered a case against such persons in police station Kothi Bagh here, adding an action will be taken against them.

Rumours of a young boy being killed in Sumbal, were floated by certain fake identity holders on Facebook.

Reportedly one person with Facebook identity as Syed Naseem had also updated about death of a youth in Safa Pora which was not true. He later removed this post.
Although Mir refused to identify the account holder of Syed Naseem to be the same as Geelani’s son, Naseem confirmed that he had written a post on Facebook about the killing of a youth in Sumbal, but removed it after he came to know that the news was not true.

“Yes, I had posted that, but I removed it quickly when I heard that it was not true,” he said.
“All these Facebook miscreants are being identified and action would be taken against them. A case has been registered with Kothibagh police station,” a police officer said.