5 booked for spreading fake news in AP

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh CID filed cases against five persons for posting fake news about the welfare schemes being implemented by the State government.

It has identified five people so far and issued notices to them on Tuesday. The CID detected 12 social media accounts that had promoted fake posts and issued notices under Section 41A to five of them.

The persons had allegedly posted false news that the Jagananna Amma Vodi and YSR Vahana Mithra schemes were being withdrawn this year, creating confusion among the beneficiaries, which is seen as a deliberate attempt to malign the Government.

Three of them were called to the Cyber Police Station in the CID office at Mangalagiri for questioning, and an FIR was filed for misusing the AP State Government’s official emblem and cases were booked under Section 7 of The State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, Section 3 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, and other sections under IPC. Paruchuri Ramya from Tenali of Guntur district, Koganti Srinivasa Rao of Vemuru in Bapatla district, and Dasari Koteshwara Rao of Burripale in Palnadu district were interrogated on Tuesday and sent home after advising them to be available for questioning when required.

The AP CID is now in the process of verifying several other handles/accounts involved in misleading public about the welfare schemes and spreading false news.