Monitoring cell set up to check rumours inciting violence

Kolkata: The State police has set up a social media monitoring cell in connection with the spreading of rumours across Bengal. Several persons were beaten up after rumours went viral about child-lifters roaming around the streets.

On Saturday, Virendra, Director General of Police (DGP) and Siddh Nath Gupta, Additional DGP (ADGP), Law and Order attended a video conference with the Superintendents of Police (SP) across the state in this regard.

On Friday, Gupta had informed that 22 cases of violence have been registered across the state in the last few days following rumour mongering in which 40 people have been arrested.

Kolkata has registered six cases of mob violence out of which eight have been arrested in three cases. According to Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma, police have stumbled upon certain videos on social media that have been circulated for spreading panic among people.

On Saturday, during the video conferencing with the SPs, DGP and ADGP, Law and Order clearly ordered the district police administrations to keep a strict vigil to prevent any violence over rumours. Also, it has been ordered to take stringent action against the rumourmongers and spread awareness in their respective jurisdictions.

Lalbazar has already issued strict orders to all the 70 police stations in the city, asking them to launch a special vigilance and round up anyone found spreading false information.

According to sources, police administration is worried as the violence-hit Kolkata and its suburbs as well as the rural areas of Bengal. Again on Friday evening at around 7:25 pm, an anonymous caller informed the police control room regarding the apprehension of a person on an accusation of child-lifting at Dom Para in Phoolbagan.

Immediately, police rushed to the spot and rescued one Md Asif of Narkeldanga from the raging mob. While doing so, the Anti-Rowdy Officer (ARO) of Phoolbagan police station Sub-Inspector (SI) S Chatterjee was also heckled and assaulted. Both Asif and Chatterjee were rushed to a private hospital near Kadapara on Eastern Metropolitan (EM) Bypass.

Meanwhile, the police have initiated a case against unknown persons on charges of Section 326 IPC (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 332 IPC (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 34 IPC (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and arrested 17 local residents. According to hospital authority, Asif and Chatterjee are stable and both of them are recovering.