Two students held for forwarding fake video on social media

Two students were today arrested for allegedly forwarding a fake video and audio along with information through social media claiming some gangs had come to the city to commit offences, police said.

The two were found 'responsible' for circulating it through social media from their cell phones to provoke the public to attack people, mentally-challenged persons and beggars without verification, a release from Rachakonda police Commissionerate said.

Police recovered their cell phones and were verifying the details of where the messages originated from, it said.

The video showed some bodies and the audio said it was in Pahadishareef area and alerted the public, the release said adding the two also requested people to share the video.

Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy has already said some false news was being spread on social media that certain gangs were on the prowl in the state.

There is absolutely no movement of criminal gangs, whether child abductors, robbery/burglary gangs, he said.

The DGP warned of stern action against those forwarding false messages and also against those taking the law into their hands and causing harm to innocent individuals.

Three persons have been killed in separate incidents of lynching by groups of villagers and mobs across Telangana since May 22.

Besides, there have been reports of groups of people beating up individuals in some more parts of the state, after suspecting them to be members of criminal gangs.