Kolkata: Online account holders from Pakistan and Bangladesh are among those summoned by Kolkata Police for spreading false information about the rape and murder of RG Kar PGT doctor. By Tuesday evening, the police had summoned 310 people, Social Media owners and companies. The police also traced 32 online accounts to Pakistan and Bangladesh and distributed False reportsSeveral of these online posts called for “similar measures in Bengal as in Bangladesh.”
Police said several fake accounts of reputable news agencies were created to spread misinformation. “We have received complaints from media houses and a number of forwards from citizens. The VoIP addresses are being tracked,” an official said. “As the protests against the rape and murder of RG Kar intensified, the spread of Misinformation on social media, creating confusion. The old style of passing off old incidents as current ones has been abandoned. Instead, AI is being used to alter original videos. Words are even being put into the mouths of influencers.” According to an officer from the Cyber Department of Kolkata Police, even hashtags like ‘#RGKar’, ‘#Justice’, ‘#Women’ and ‘#Rape’ have been used to ensure rapid spread of these fake posts.
In addition, 25 accounts from UP, MP and Rajasthan were identified and the owners summoned. “Many continued to post fake news despite warnings. We are planning raids across North Kolkata,” an official said.
Social Media Rumors and misinformation spread like wildfire, an official said. Claims like “150 grams of semen was found on the victim’s body” and details about the number and nature of injuries on the doctor’s body were circulating on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. There are also rumours that several people were involved, though neither the police nor the CBI have confirmed this. To put a stop to these rumours, the Social Media Monitoring Cell and Cyber Cell in Lalbazar are taking strict action. Initially, 250 profiles were identified and the police contacted them. As the investigation progressed, Lalbazar discovered a reference to “foreign involvement” in spreading these rumours.
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Police have summoned Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, BJP’s Locket Chatterjee, cardiac surgeon Dr Kunal Sarkar and Burdwan chief medical officer Subarno Goswami and 200 others for allegedly spreading false information about the RG Kar rape and murder case or revealing the identity of the victim. The people involved reacted in different ways, either affirming their intention to act on the allegations or denying them.
