Fake Eid holiday notification: Police adopt backtracking method to arrest mastermind

Kolkata: Police are taking necessary steps including the "backtracking" method to pin down the person who prepared and circulated the fake notification stating: "Governor is pleased to declare State Government holiday from June 12 to 15" in connection with Eid through a social networking app.

Police initiated a probe in this condition considering it as a desperate effort to create law and order trouble in the state by spreading rumour.

"It is not impossible to identify the person who has started circulating it through the social networking app.

The case has been initiated and all the aspects are looked into to arrest the person as early as possible," said a police officer adding that they have taken up the "backtracking method" to reach the person.

The police officer said the person, who created the fake notification, is well aware that how a government notification looks like and they were well aware that it is the state Finance Department that issues notification regarding holidays.

It may be mentioned that it happened when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is repeatedly requesting people not to circulate any such false information that may lead to confusion and finally law and

order trouble.

Besides directing the police to be vigilant to avoid attempt of spreading rumour, Chief Minister has also urged common people not to give ears to rumours and inform police immediately if they can identify any rumour monger.

Police had earlier arrested a good number of people on charges of spreading rumour. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had arrested a middle-aged man from South 24-Parganas in October 2017 for circulating messages through social networking sites allegedly with an intention of disturbing the law and order situation.

According to a senior police officer, a person, who circulated false information with an intension to spread rumour in the name of any religion, would be booked under various sections of the

Indian Penal Code (IPC) on charges of deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs (295A IPC), punishment for criminal intimidation (506 IPC) and certain sections of the Information Technology Act.