Advocate arrested in Faridabad for circulating fake news, released on bail

The Faridabad police arrested a 40-year-old man on Thursday for allegedly circulating fake news on various social media platforms and violating guidelines of the

Published on: Sep 27, 2019, 23:54:22 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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The Faridabad police arrested a 40-year-old man on Thursday for allegedly circulating fake news on various social media platforms and violating guidelines of the Election Commission of India, said the police. He was released on bail by a court on Friday.

The police said, they received a complaint from Paras Bhardwaj, the district convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), on Wednesday alleging that a person named Surinder Siwach, who is a lawyer by profession, was attempting to disturb public harmony by indulging in false propaganda and undermining the election prospects of the BJP in Haryana.

Arun Yadav, state IT head for the BJP, said that on September 24 they came across a post on Facebook which had a picture of a boy with a gunshot wound. The caption allegedly took a dig on the BJP’s campaign slogan that envisions a win of more than 75 seats for the party in the Haryana assembly elections scheduled for October 21. “The statement and the photo are both false as the alleged incident shown in the post never took place in Haryana, or for that matter in India. The picture is allegedly of an incident in Pakistan,” said Yadav.

BJP workers approached the assistant commissioner of police on September 25, seeking action against Siwach, who was later arrested.

A case was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity), 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 125A of the Representation of People’s Act (RPA) at the Faridabad old police station.

Anil Kumar, assistant commissioner of commissioner (crime), Faridabad, said that lawyers in the city protested on Friday and did not initially let them produce Siwach in the court that led to a delay in the proceedings. “Siwach was actively sharing fake news and was, therefore, arrested on Thursday late night. He was produced before the court and was granted bail on Friday,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is the Bureau Chief of the Gurugram bureau at Hindustan Times, where she covers crime, excise, civic agencies, forests and wildlife, real estate, and politics. With over a decade of experience at the organisation, she has reported some of the region’s most impactful stories, known for her deep investigative work and on-ground reporting. Leena has extensively covered major crime cases, systemic lapses and financial irregularities, often exposing civic agency failures and prompting administrative action. Her journalism is driven by accountability, public interest, and a commitment to highlighting issues that shape everyday life in Gurugram.Read More

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