Postcard News' founder held on charges of spreading fake, sensitive news
Bengaluru: The founder of online portal "Postcard News", Mahesh Vikram Hegde, was arrested by a Central Crime Branch unit of Bengaluru police on Thursday in Karnataka on charges of spreading fake and communally sensitive news. The editor has been charged under cybercrime laws.
Deputy Commissioner of police (crime) in Bengaluru Jinendra Kanagavi said Hegde had been arrested Thursday on the basis of a complaint filed with the cyber crime police station attached to the Central Crime Branch regarding a fake news item tweeted and posted by Postcard News.
Mahesh Vikram Hegde was taken into custody for falsely claiming in a social media post on March 18 that a Jain monk from Karnataka had got injured after being attacked by a Muslim youth. It has been found that the monk had been injured in a road accident.
"Postcard News" founder was arrested based on two complaints - one of which was filed on March 18 by Gaffar Baig, the General Secretary Bengaluru District Congress Committee. Another complaint was filed in Sanjay Nagar against a story published by Postcard News about Rani Chennamma and Onake Obava.
"No one safe in Siddaramaiah's Karnataka," the Facebook page of Postcard News said. The post, which was accompanied by a picture of the monk with injuries on his arm and shoulder, has now been deleted.
Hegde's portal had reported that Upadhyaya Mayank Sagar Ji Maharaj was hit by a drunk biker, who is Muslim. "Very sad news, yesterday in Karnataka Jain muni attacked by Muslim youth. No one is safe in Siddaramaiah's Karnataka," the editor had said in the tweet that was on the "Postcard News" Twitter handle and was retweeted hundred times.
Mahesh Vikram Hegde is one of the 1,936 people who Prime Minister Narendra Modi follows on Twitter.
The incident was falsely reported, say the police. A leader of the Karnatak's ruling Congress reportedly filed a complaint against the site and its founder.
According to reports, the monk was hit by a car on March 13, not a bike, and the driver was not Muslim. The monk suffered injuries to his arm and head when he was hit by the car.
The portal, "Postcard News" had earlier been charged with publishing content that incites communal hate.
In December, "Postcard News" had published a controversial article on a legendary 18th century Chittor Queen, Chennamma, which provoked much outrage.
Just ahead of the Karnataka polls, in which the ruling Congress faces a tough challenge with the BJP campaigning aggressively to wrest the state, the arrest has fuelled a political outcry.
The opposition BJP in the state has condemned the editor's arrest.
"The arrest was a deplorable move by the Siddaramaiah government," said BJP parliamentarian Pratap Simha.
Hegde and his website have often been accused of writing fake news stories to propagate the right-wing Hindu nationalist agenda.
(With inputs from agencies)
