DHARWAD: How to win likes and influence people is the big game in the town. It has always been. Social media platforms have opened the doors to notoriety and stardom to all--heroes as well antiheroes.
In the twin cities of Hubballi Dharwad, rowdy-sheeters have read their Dale Carnegie. These social media bullies are making reels of their birthday celebrations for their ‘fan base’ with a flourish--they ram home the point by using a sword to cut the cake. All to peddle their influence and to intimidate the town folk and let it be known to authorities that ‘’no one can touch them.”
But now they are in for a rude shock. The Hubballi Dharwad police are finally cracking the whip against the rowdy-sheeters who have assiduously built a fan following on various social media platforms.
The police have found 700 accounts on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube being handled by rowdy-sheeters and their cronies.
The police said that these accounts carry crime-promoting videos and messages. A few accounts portray these rowdy sheeters as superheroes and claim no one can touch them, said the police.
The police have filed 28 first information reports against 50 rowdy-sheeters across 15 police stations in the twin cities. All such account handlers are being questioned by the police.
‘Accounts have content that could provoke crimes’
Hubballi Dharwad police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said that the department is screening social media to keep an eye on suspects and rowdy-sheeters as part of the drive to crack down on crimes.
These accounts contain content that could provoke crimes, disturb communal harmony. These also boast about their crimes as well as violations such as that of traffic rules and regulations in an attempt to intimidate general public. They are also using public functions to promote their fan followers and others, said Shashi Kumar.
“Such posts will impact innocent people. People will be living under a cloud of fear. A few miscreants have also used school premises for making reels to maintain their hold on society”, Shashi Kumar added.
A retired police officer said the criminals have a direct or indirect link with local politicians. People tend to follow these criminals on social media and ‘like’ the posts to avoid any clash with such people, he said.
The police have given the message that not only the criminals but those who support directly or indirectly for such crime-promoting activities will also face the legal consequences.