Chandauli, UP: District police authorities on Thursday, arrested three miscreants for spreading fake news on social media and for creating disharmony among communities. The arrests relate to an incident on Saturday, July 28, in which a self-immolation attempt by Abdul Khalid was given a communal colour by some miscreants saying that he was set afire for refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram,” according to district police. The police said that their probe revealed that the victim who died subsequently, used to frequent a tomb of Kale Khan Baba where he set himself on fire. According to the police authorities, he also believed in black magic and Tantric rituals which he would attempt to learn there. Police are probing this angle further.

These arrested miscreants, police say, tried to use social media channels to spread rumours about the incident giving it a communal twist claiming that Abdul Khaliq was set on fire by a group for refusing to chant the slogan “Jai Shri Ram.” The news spread like wildfire on social media and was picked up by some international media outlets, as well. Three culprits, Zahid, Abdul Aleem and Guddu Sonkar were arrested in the case and booked under Sections 139/19, 153/A, 295/A/420/120B and 182 of the IPC, as also 66 IT Act. All the three offenders are residents of a village in Chandauli district of UP.