Babul Supriyo booked for sharing 'fake photo': Kolkata Police

Union Minister Babul Supriyo was booked under non-bailable sections of the IPC by the Kolkata Police on Sunday for sharing a "fake" photo on Twitter purportedly showing Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha sharing drinks with a few persons, including Kartik Banerjee, the brother of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a senior officer said.

The case was filed after Supriyo shared the photo on May 8, he said.

Supriyo has been booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.), 505 (statements conducing public mischief) and 120B, among others, the officer said.

Some of the sections under which he was booked are non-bailable, he said.

"We have filed a case not only against Supriyo but also a few others who shared this fake photo. Sharing fake posts/photos is a punishable crime," the officer said.

Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of South Kolkata tweeted, "This post circulating on social media is fake. The information shared in the message is false. A case has been started over this and legal action being taken."