Chennai Police initiates legal action against false news about guest workers attack

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Police on Wednesday said that a case has been registered against News18 Bihar for a post on their social media handle, in which a 48 second video was uploaded alleging that two migrant labourers were thrown out of a moving train by criminals in Chennai, resulting in one casualty and injury to the other..

The news item was uploaded in their facebook and youtube channels too. City police clarified that the news item is "utterly false, malicious and slanderous."

Police enquiry about the news item revealed that the incident pertains to a case registered by Villupuram Government Railway Police on February 6, 2024 with respect to the death of a person named Mohan Mahto Gram Turkaulia of East Champran District, Bihar who was allegedly electrocuted when he climbed atop the Train bound for Villupuram to Tambaram

Citing a recent Supreme Court order which observed that hate speeches must be immediately acted upon by registering suo moto first information report, City Police said that they have invoked sections 153 (provocation with intent to create riot), 153A (1) (a), 505 (1) (b) (circulating rumour) 505 (2) of IPC against the media outlet.

"All are requested to desist from indulging in such type of malicious and slanderous information for which stringent legal action would be taken against them, " the release stated.