Man held from Gujarat for spreading false message on social media

Thane, Jan 18 (PTI) Police have arrested a 32-year-old man from Vadodara in Gujarat for allegedly spreading rumours and creating panic among container truck drivers in Navi Mumbai through a false video message on social media, an official said on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-II Panvel) Pankaj Dahane said the accused, Pankaj Giri, was taken into custody from his office in the Gujarat city.

On January 10, a video message surfaced on social media, alleging the son of a sarpanch from Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai, which houses a mega port, had met with an "accident". The false message further claimed the sarpanch had threatened to kill '111' drivers to take revenge, police said.

The viral video created panic among drivers of heavy vehicles who expressed reluctance to go to Nhava Sheva for their routine work, they said.

The Nhava Sheva port, where hundreds of container trucks arrive everyday, faced disruption due to the fear instilled in drivers by the false message, said the police.

Upon investigation, the police discovered the message was fabricated and no accident as mentioned in the video had occurred, said Dahane.

Subsequently, a criminal offense was registered and the man behind the fake video message, later identified as Giri, was traced to Vadodara, from where he was apprehended, said the official. PTI COR RSY