Tamil Nadu migrants: 11 cases filed against those who spread fake news

The DGP has also constituted a nodal team consisting of five police officers to coordinate with other states and agencies on migrants' safety

Tamil Nadu Police have so far filed 11 cases and arrested three persons in connection with spreading fake news that migrant labourers from Bihar are being attacked in the state, even as DGP C Sylendra Babu met with migrant workers and industrialists in Coimbatore on Thursday as part of confidence building measures.

The DGP has also constituted a nodal team consisting of five police officers to coordinate with other states and agencies on issues pertaining to the rumours on the safety and security of migrant workers. Sylendra Babu flew to Coimbatore, the industrial city which employs thousands of migrant workers from north Indian states, and held discussions with industrialists on how to allay the fear of labourers who are worried over their safety.

The DGP also visited factories in Coimbatore and Tiruppur and interacted with migrant labourers, while assuring them that they will always be safe in the state and asked them not to believe fake videos that show people like them in the state are under attack.

“We have filed 11 cases in total since the beginning of March. Three people have been arrested so far, and our teams are camping in Bhopal, Delhi, Patna, and Bengaluru looking for people who spread fake news. Some are absconding, while a few have knocked at the doors of the court,” Babu said.

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He said the investigation would reveal why a concerted campaign that north Indian migrants in Tamil Nadu are attacked was launched by circulating videos that are not even remotely related to the state. The probe will also find out whether there was any political motive to these videos and whether any political party was involved.

The head of the police force said he has instructed police personnel to continue reaching out to migrant labourers in the state. “We have asked to increase the number of patrol vehicles and reach out to people working in factories. The labourers are being added to WhatsApp groups and one person is being identified to liaison with the police in each factory,” the DGP added.

The police have also been asked to identify companies and factories that employ migrant labourers and collect details of their contact numbers and their native state.