Mahbubnagar: Minister files defamation case against 4 for spreading false news

Mahbubnagar: With a few people spreading false news relating to Excise Minister Srinivas Goud on WhatsApp, the Shadnagar police booked a defamation case against those people under Sections 153, 182, 504 R/w 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Tuesday and took up the investigation.

According to sources, recently Minister Srinvias Goud had visited Shadnagar for taking part in the inauguration of a statue of Sardar Sarwaipapanna Goud. It is said that one of the vehicles in the Minister's convoy had hit a small boy while reversing the vehicle in Kishannagar during the programme. However, there was no such incident reported anywhere else, and some of the social media groups picked up the false news and spread it through WhatsApp and Facebook without verifying it.

Enraged over this, the Minister lodged a complaint against those who spread the news. "I have been deeply hurt with the false news spread against me. I am the one who would first attend to those who are in grief and distress. Some people are spreading false news against me. This is not good. We will take action against those who are trying to defame me," informed the Minister. In fact, soon after Srinivas Goud was informed about the accident and a news clipping on the social media urging Srinivas Goud's help to the boy was circulated, the Minister immediately rushed to the Navodaya Hospital in Mahbubnagar only to find that no such case was reported at the hospital.

With this, the Minister had decided to file a defamation case in the Shadnagar police station. The Shadnagar Circle Inspector had confirmed that they have booked cases against four persons, Khajapasha, admin of a WhatsApp group and Viswanadh, Shiva Prasad and Mahender Reddy, who had forwarded this message without confirming its authenticity.

"We are warning social media groups of booking cases for spreading false news and causing disturbance to peace, law and order. People should not believe in rumours and false news and spread it as it could sometimes lead to clashes," said Shadnagar Circle Inspector Sridhar Kumar.