By Trend News Line 2024-06-29 07:09:45.
In a shocking turn of events, the alleged murder of an 11-year-old boy over a property dispute in Barasat, West Bengal, has sparked a wave of completely unfounded rumours on social media. The rumours of child kidnapping and organ trafficking have led to widespread panic and violent vigilantism in the area. At least five incidents of mob assault on innocent people have been reported in the last five days in areas surrounding Barasat.
Barasat SP Pratiksha Jharkhariya has vehemently denied the rumours, stating that there has not been a single incident of child kidnapping in the Barasat police district. Despite her assurances, the rumours continue to spread like wildfire, fueled by Facebook posts. The police have identified 55 such posts, of which 51 have been taken down.
The tragic case of the missing 11-year-old boy from Kajipara in Barasat ended in heartbreak when his decomposed body was found hanging in a neighbour’s house. The boy’s uncle, Enger Nabi, was arrested for his murder. Nabi confessed to killing the boy over a financial dispute with the boy’s father. He had attempted to mislead the police by staging the scene to make it appear as though the residents of the neighbour’s house were responsible.
The successful resolution of the case did little to quell the rumours that had already taken hold in the community. SP Jharkhariya revealed that Nabi himself had started the rumours when the boy first went missing. He used his influence as a muezzin in a local mosque to spread false information about child kidnappers in the area. The rumours quickly spread to social media, where they took on a life of their own.
The impact of these baseless rumours has been devastating. Parents in the area stopped sending their children to school, and innocent people have been targeted and assaulted by mobs. One woman in Chakdah was beaten on suspicion of being a child kidnapper, despite having no criminal record. The police have been working tirelessly to dispel the rumours, sharing information on social media and conducting investigations to identify those responsible for spreading false information.
In a rare move, four individuals have been arrested for posting false information on social media that fueled the rumours of child kidnapping. They have been charged under IPC 505 and 506 for instigating violence. The police have also identified a man named Injamul Haque as one of the initial sources of the rumours. While Haque has since deleted the posts and cooperated with the police, the damage caused by the rumours continues to reverberate throughout the community.
As the police work to restore calm and dispel the rumours, it is crucial for the public to exercise caution and verify information before sharing it on social media. The tragic case of the young boy in Barasat is a stark reminder of the dangers of misinformation and the devastating consequences it can have on innocent lives..
1. Child kidnapping rumours trigger panic in Bengal towns
2. Missing 11-year-old boy found dead in Bengal towns.