Mangaluru: Police in Mangaluru have arrested two persons for allegedly circulating “old and misleading videos” about church attacks.
The arrested are Sunil Veigas, 34, and P P Sachith, 23, residents of Chikkamagaluru, some 150 km northeast of Mangaluru in Karnataka state.
Police on June 1 said that they have booked a suo motu (on its own) case considering how fake news could create law and order problem in the region.
The two were arrested on May 30 and produced before a court.
They are accused of circulating a series of old and misleading videos and images claiming that some churches in Mangaluru region were attacked by right-wingers hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party won seven out of eight constituencies in Dakshina Kannada and all the five in Udupi.
However, what they circulated were videos of church attacks in Mangaluru that had taken place in September 2008. The video was circulated on WhatsApp after Karnataka assembly election results.
Social media posts claimed that BJP and Sangh Parivar activists attacked a church which was close to a counting center on the counting day. The posts said that during victory celebration of the party, the workers tried to plant their flags near crucifix.