THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The row over the entry of women to Sabarimala shrine is leaving an indelible and ugly mark in the cyber space with mostly right-wingers training their guns on the dissent voices. Police say that social media is being used being nefarious elements to spew communal venom. Police said more than 25,000 Facebook users in the state have been served warning notices so far in the past two months and over two dozen registered in connection with Sabarimala developments.
In Thiruvananthapuram city police limits alone 4,000 Facebook users were served notices. Four cyber cases, including the ones for threatening Thiruvnanathapuram Range IG Manoj Abraham, were registered in city stations.
City Police Commissioner P Prakash said certain people in social media were trying to create communal divide through their posts and some of them have been identified and served warning.“In the past two months we have served warnings to 4,000 people from my official Facebook page,” said Prakash. All those involved in creating and circulating communally disturbing social media posts, he said.
It was found that pictures, videos and voice clips of communal nature were circulated via social media. Prakash said non-bailable charges would be levelled against the offenders and the cyber cell has started collecting details of the suspects operating from outside the country.
Prakash said through warning notice, they have asked the Facebook users not to indulge in creating communal divide and reminded them strict legal actions are in the offing in case they repeat the misdeed.
Majority of the warnings were issued to Keralites working abroad. Police said overseas Keralites who are found to be involved in uploading potential communally disturbing social media posts would be subject to severe action.In such cases, the police department can even go to the extent of cancelling their passports or issue red-corner notice,” police said.