The Kerala Police have initiated an investigation into an alleged social media campaign targeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's Facebook post, which requested assistance for those affected by the landslides in Wayanad district. The State Police Media Centre (SPMC) announced on Thursday that the Wayanad Cybercrime police have registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Disaster Management Act. The case pertains to the alleged spread of a campaign on social media intended to obstruct relief efforts.
According to the SPMC, the fake campaign was circulated on social media platform X by a handle named 'Koyikodans 2.0'. The post was aimed at motivating people to reject the CM's appeal for disaster relief, it said. The police warned of strict legal action under the law against those who edit, produce and disseminate fake posts in such a way so as to spread misconceptions.
For this, the cyber police have intensified monitoring of social media. Vijayan had called upon everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) in order to help those affected by the landslides. Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday, killing several people, including women and children.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will chair an all-party meeting as search and rescue operations by various agencies and armed forces continue in the landslides-hit areas. State ministers camping in the district, MLAs from Wayanad and political party leaders will participate in the meeting, the district administration said.
Wayanad landslides
As many as 173 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district two days ago, with the numbers expected to increase even more as rescuers unearth debris, the district administration said on Thursday. The 173 dead include 23 children and 70 women. It said that 100 bodies have been identified and the post-mortem of 219 remains, including body parts, has been completed.
(With PTI inputs)
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