Mumbai police had a tough time defusing tension in Lalbaugh area on January 4 after two groups clashed on Central Mumbai streets. Adding fuel to the fire were rumours that were spreading thick and fast on social networking sites about communal tension escalating. Police are on the look out for gossip mongers who they plan to arrest and make an example of in order to prevent trouble mongering through social networks.
According to the police, gossip mongers were very active on January 4. A number of people trying to incite tension in the city had circulated the picture of a boy with injuries on his face through WhatsApp.
"We too received the picture of an injured young boy from a particular community. There was a message below the picture urging people to come out and protest. We immediately checked to see if anyone had been injured in the clash. We found out that the picture was from an accident that had taken place on Sunday morning at Mazgaon, and that it had no connection with the clashes," said deputy commissioner of police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni.
"There was a video too. It was about some people vandalizing a vehicle. The message in the video claimed it was from Manish Market. We found out that the video was a year old and was not from Mumbai."
The police want to send out a strong message by punishing gossip mongers. The Cybercell will try and locate the original message by tracking it backwards and will also write to those managing WhatsApp server seeking information. "Cyber Cell is tracking from where these rumours originated. We will soon arrest the culprits. We want to ensure that such things don't happen again. We don't want communal tension to flare up in the city," said DCP Kulkarni.
A riot broke in Lalbaugh are on January 4 after some people objected to three men travelling on a motorbike during a religious procession, saying it was causing inconvenience to pedestrians. An argument broke out between the two groups following which they started attacking each other. The police immediately swung into action, putting additional force on job and brought the situation under control. A case has been registered at Bhoiwada police station against 50 (unknown) people for unlawful assembly and rioting.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}