Police book news portal operator for allegedly spreading misinformation about National Games
PNS | DEHRADUN
The police have registered a case against a news portal operator for allegedly spreading false and misleading information about ongoing 38th National Games in Uttarakhand. The action was taken following a complaint by the principal of Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun, Rajesh Mamgain on Thursday morning, the Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said.
He told The Pioneer that the principal alleged that a news portal had published a misleading report on social media regarding the National Games on Wednesday. He said, “The report, featuring the National Games logo and a photograph of the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, carried a sensational headline claiming match-fixing and corruption in the National Games and medals being sold for lakhs. The portal also allegedly mentioned specific prices for medals, spreading falsehoods about the event, as per the complainant.”
The SSP said that the report was widely shared across various platforms, causing concern among officials and according to the principal, such misinformation could damage the reputation of Uttarakhand’s Sports department and create a sense of distrust among athletes and their supporters. Besides this, misleading news could also tarnish the State’s image among participants and spectators from across the country.
He further said, “Based on the complaint, a case has been registered at Raipur police station under section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the news portal operator. The police will also take strict action against unauthorised news portals that spread misleading or false information.”
