Social media users booked for ‘defamatory posts’ on FSSAI

Delhi Police filed an FIR against social media users for tampering and sharing FSSAI documents to defame an officer, seeking account details from X.

Delhi Police has lodged a first information report (FIR) against several individuals on social media for allegedly tampering with and circulating official documents of a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officer online,officials said on Thursday. It has also written to the social media company X, seeking detailed information about the people who hold the accounts.

According to the police, they received a complaint from an FSSAI representative last month flagging the circulation of the organisation’s official documents. (Representative photo)

According to the police, they received a complaint from an FSSAI representative last month flagging the circulation of the organisation’s official documents. A senior police officer, who refused to be named, said, “We have been told that the documents were tampered with and circulated through multiple posts to malign the image of a senior officer. The complainant told us that these influencers, in connivance with some other people, uploaded the posts to harm FSSAI’s reputation.”

Police said an FIR was lodged on March 24 at IP Estate police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 316 (4)) and 3 (5), as well as the Information Technology Act section 72A(penalty for breach of confidentiality and privacy). Police said they have already sent notices to the social media users named in the complaint.

In a letter to X, dated April 1, police askedX for information. “An incident has been reported…We are in the process of investigation…certain posts were published on Twitter (X) by multiple handlers with malicious intent to defame her and damage her reputation in society, thereby creating chaos before the public, she further alleged that some of the details were also stolen from certain places, which were supposed to be highly confidential.”

Police have asked for the registration details of the X accounts including mobile numbers and email used. They have also asked for log details with ports for all the active sessions since creation of the X accounts, handles and pages. The notice also asked for “any other information” that could help in identifying or tracing the individuals behind these accounts.