Reporter's diary: Just the bar, not so high
Early this year, a 48-second video was uploaded which alleged that two migrant labourers were thrown out of a moving train by criminals in Chennai.
CHENNAI: For more than a year, the Tamil Nadu police has been fighting false news on prominent social media platforms and even some TV news channels up north that had shared unverified information claiming attacks on guest workers in Chennai and across the State.
Early this year, a 48-second video was uploaded which alleged that two migrant labourers were thrown out of a moving train by criminals in Chennai. Police clarified that it was “utterly false, malicious and slanderous”, and quickly swung into action to book cases against some of them.
Similarly, last month, the police issued rebuttals to news items about a murder in Krishnagiri and another about a public nuisance by a gang of youths in Tirumullaivoyal who created a ruckus in the neighbourhood. What’s curious about these rebuttals is that the police did not deny the actual incidents. Their bone of contention was the catalyst for the crime.
In both instances, some news reports had mentioned that the suspects were high on ganja during the crime. Police specifically clarified that the suspects were ‘just inebriated’ after consuming alcohol and not ‘high on ganja’ as reported.
Sources pointed out that the rebuttals were just police working in a fire-fighting mode, and defusing accusations by the Opposition parties about ganja-use in the State.
In essence, the clarification was that the crimes were carried out after consuming government-approved intoxicants.
