43 cases filed for false posts on Jayalalithaa's health

Two persons arrested, police warns convictions could carry seven years' rigorous imprisonment

Police have registered 43 cases and arrested two persons in connection with posting of "malicious and false content" on social media about the health of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, undergoing treatment at a hospital here.

Police also warned of stern action against those spreading rumours about Jayalalithaa's health.

"In total, 43 cases have been registered in connection with posting of malicious and false content regarding the health condition of the Chief Minister on the social media," police said in a release.

Special teams, constituted to investigate such cases, were working to identify those who had posted such "false and malicious content" on social media, it said, adding, such "offences are liable to be punished with rigorous imprisonment for more than seven years."

"Users of social media are advised not to spread false, malicious and motivated information regarding the health condition of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Stern action will be taken against the culprits, if any such content is noticed," police added.

Two persons have been arrested, one each from Namakkal and Madurai districts, by the Central Crime Branch of Chennai Police, following complaints made here.

A software engineer, Sathish Kumar from Devanankurichi in Namakkal "admitted" to having posted "malicious content" on Facebook, and he was arrested based on a complaint by the AIADMK IT Wing Secretary G Ramachandran, police said.

Further, one Madasamy, who operated a website and posted "malicious content" about the Chief Minister's health, was arrested from Madurai, following a complaint from a Chennai-based resident, police said.

The two were arrested yesterday under different IPC sections for "spreading rumours with intent to cause riot, creating panic among general public, causing disturbance to public order and for creating hatred between two groups," police said, adding, they were remanded to custody.

Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo Hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration.