BENGALURU: The Congress-led state government seems to have diluted the controversial draft of Karnataka Misinformation Regulation Bill, 2025 by dropping “fake news” from its title. It was earlier called the Karnataka Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill.
The new draft is likely to be discussed in the next cabinet meeting and tabled during the legislature session starting on August 11.
The cabinet had first proposed the bill on June 19 to stop misinformation and fake news. As per the earlier draft, if social media content creators were found guilty of posting fake news, they faced an imprisonment of up to seven years and fine of up to Rs 10 lakh or both.
The new draft, however, does not mention the quantum of penalty, while also dropping the prohibition of anti-feminism and disrespect to Sanatan symbols.
It explains that to “communicate” means dissemination of information to ten or more persons in person, through publication, communication device, computer resource, television, making or altering bots that disseminate misinformation or any other communication medium with a wide reach. The old draft had said one or more persons. As per the new draft, no person outside or inside Karnataka shall abet misinformation to persons in Karnataka that disrupts public tranquility or the conduct of free and fair elections or incites others to commit an offence.
“Misinformation” means knowingly or recklessly making a false or inaccurate statement in the context in which it appears, excluding opinions, religious or philosophical sermons, satire, comedy or parody or any other form of artistic expression.
Any person guilty of propagating misinformation shall be punished with imprisonment not less than three months that may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine. While, any person who abets misinformation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine. The bill states that the government shall set up infrastructure to curb the spread of misinformation. It shall set up special courts comprising sessions judges for the speedy trial of offences with concurrence of the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 46 of 2023) all offences shall be triable only by the Special Court.
A person accused of or suspected of the commission of an offence is forwarded to a magistrate under sub-section (2) and (6) of section 187 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 46 of 2023), such magistrate may authorise the detention of such a person in custody as he thinks fit for a period not exceeding 15 days and seven days where it is an executive magistrate.
The offence to be cognisable and non-bailable notwithstanding anything contained in the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 46 of 2023). No accused shall be released on bail unless the special public prosecutor is given an opportunity to oppose the application for such release.