One person was detained for allegedly uploading a “misleading” video related to a clash between two communities in Kishtwar district, police said on Monday, issuing a public advisory cautioning citizens against misuse of social media.
In a related development, Kishtwar District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma on Monday issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), directing strict regulation and compliance with the statutory framework governing digital news and current affairs content in the district.The order specifically targets mushrooming of unregistered online news portals and social media pages reporting news and current affairs without registration, verification, or accountability, which the administration said poses a serious risk of misinformation and disturbance of public order.
The order followed a clash between two communities in a remote village in Nagseni area of Kishtwar district which left a few persons injured.
One person was detained for uploading a video giving a “communal angle” to the incident, police said.
According to the police, on Sunday, members of a community were bringing logs from the jungle when one log slipped and stopped near a madrassa.
Due to this, an altercation arose between the two communities under the jurisdiction of Padyarna police post, which later escalated into stone pelting from both sides and few people sustained minor injuries, they said.
An FIR under sections 125, 125(a), 191(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered in this connection, and investigation is on, they added.
“Meanwhile, today (Monday), one person from Kishtwar uploaded a video of the incident, claiming it to be an attack on a religious place and attempting to give it a communal angle, thereby disturbing public peace and order,” police said in an advisory.
In this regard, another FIR under Section 353 BNS has been registered at Kishtwar police station and the person has been detained.
“The general public is advised to exercise utmost caution and responsibility while using social media and other digital platforms. Any person found involved in such acts shall be dealt strictly as per law,” the advisory said.
Separately, the district magistrate issued an order directing for regulation of unregistered online news portals and social media platforms in Kishtwar.
Under the order, unregistered or unauthorised online news portals and social media news platforms have been barred from publishing or circulating any news or current affairs content without complying with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
All such entities have been directed to adhere to the prescribed Code of Ethics, the district magistrate said, warning that circulation of misleading, false, or inflammatory content on digital platforms would attract strict legal action.
Cyber cafe operators have been instructed to enforce identity verification norms and maintain proper user records.
To ensure enforcement, the Kishtwar district information officer, has been directed to submit a verified list of all registered and unregistered online news portals, media organisations, and social media news handles operating in the district within seven days, while the Kishtwar senior superintendent of police has been tasked with ensuring strict implementation of the order.
The order, passed ex-parte owing to the urgency of the situation, has come into force with immediate effect and will remain in force for two months.