By Muslim Mirror News
Bengaluru : Mahesh Vikram Hegde, founder of a controversial web news portal –PostCard News- was arrested by Bengaluru Central Crime Branch on Thursday. The police claims he is responsible for spreading fake news that a Jain monk had been attacked by Muslim youth.
According to police, a Jain monk who had come for the Shravanabelagola festival had met with an accident on March 13, but Postcard News published a status message on social media stating that he had been attacked by Muslim youth.
The FIR registered against him states “The news was intended to tarnish the reputation of the government and also disrupt communal harmony.”
It is pertinent to mention that PostCard news has earlier also been accused of spreading news that promotes communal disharmony. With assembly elections round the corner in Karnataka, the local government fears rise in fake news to polarize the masses.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Suneel Kumar confirming Hegde’s arrest said “He has been arrested under three sections; under IPC sections 153a (wantonly giving provocation with the intent to cause riot), 34 (common intention) and 120b (for criminal conspiracy), and section 66 (dishonest act) of the Information Technology Act.”