Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 29: In the recent past, the hands of the police are full with rumours about crimes and falsified/distorted information about crimes. Hence more than crimes, efforts of the police are drained in regulating these damaging rumours which are circulated through social websites than controlling crimes. The social websites spread imaginary information, which in turn agitate the civilized society, and result in a number of tragic incidents. "In the recent past, rumours about gangs involved with kidnapping of children are active, and unfounded information that children are being abducted here and there, have been shared and conveyed through social websites of late," the district police have observed, and given the following information by way of clarification.

SP Nisha James

False information about abduction of children are baseless. Because of such rumours, in the recent past, there have been instances in the country in which groups of people have fallen prey to mass hysteria and taken away lives of strangers and innocent people. The incident at Hyderabad in which people thrashed a beggar believing him to be a child lifter, a group of villagers brutally attacking a brother-sister duo at Karatagi n Koppal district, believing them to be abductors of children, and killing of a transgender person in Kolkata just because she was holding a baby in her hands, are before us," the department has pointed out.

There have been organized attempts to whip up public sentiment by uploading some fake photos by projecting them as child lifters, along with incidents which had happened somewhere else as if they have happened here, thus spreading a sense of terror among the people. They create unrest and disturb peace in the society. The debate in the social media about the chances of children getting stolen or abduction of their own children leave deep impact on the minds of the people. This might turn on their sense of panic and frustration, as we have seen above that they give rise to unwarranted incidents.

We have before us incidents in which rumours have been spread that gangs of child abductors are active in the area and that children are being kidnapped, get forwarded from one person to the other, giving rise to adverse incidents.

In case the people have information about the abduction of children or if they come across as suspicious looking persons in their area or villages, they have to pass on this information immediately to police control room and nearest police station. They should not be incited to attack or indulge in murder attempt on strangers. If they take law into their hands, they would be subjected to strict legal measures, the police said.

The police department has undertaken a number of programmes meant to spread awareness on these aspects. If people come across any information about suspicious activities, they have to convey information to the patrol duty policemen, police station, or district control room phone No. 0820-2526444 or 100 so that based on the information preventive measures can be taken up by the police.

The police note that some miscreants settled abroad have been projecting some incidents that have happened in foreign countries as if they happened in India, with the specific objective of spoiling the health of our country. They have been spreading messages and videos which hare unrelated to such incidents. The police have requested people not to believe in or act upon such messages. The people have been advised to pass information to police department whenever the people come across false news or photos in social websites about abduction of children posted or forwarded by people so that the department can register Suo Moto case against the concerned and act upon them.

The department has requested the people not to allow such messages about theft of children to be passed on to others. If they receive messages from somewhere else, they should nip them in the bud before they give rise to rumours. Such a step can avert several tragedies and therefore the civil society should not own lethargy in such issues, the police felt.

The district police said that it has taken special interest in the matter or protection of children's rights and that the department is always ready to undertake investigation, crack the case, and cooperate with the people if such an incident has actually happened. For more information, people can contact district police control No. 0820 - 2526444 / 100 of cybercrime police station Udupi at cyber police station No. 0820- 2530021, the department said.