X users spread fake news on filmmaker’s cardiac arrest

Two persons were booked for defamation charges for creating a fake account of filmmaker Ashoke Pandit on X and spreading news of him having a heart attack. Indian film industry bodies have written to authorities urging action.

MUMBAI: Two unknown persons were booked for defamation charges on Monday for creating a fake account of filmmaker Ashoke Pandit on X (formerly Twitter) and amplifying news of him suffering a heart attack. Pandit is known for producing Bollywood films like 72 Hoorain and being in the news for making controversial statements.

X users spread fake news on filmmaker’s cardiac arrest

Based on his complaint, the Juhu police booked the two users, one of them is a well-known parody account. According to the complaint, the news related to his health was shared by the account named Dr Nimo Yadav. It spoke of how the filmmaker is in hospital lonely with nobody sharing his ideology reaching out to him.

Industry bodies like the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association and Federation of Western India Cine Employees have written to chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar to take serious cognizance of the matter.

Based on the written complaint submitted by Pandit the same day, Juhu police booked the people behind both these accounts under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.