Law enforcement agencies have arrested more than a dozen vloggers and TikTokers, accusing them of spreading fake stories about the alleged rape of a student, which led to violent protests across Punjab province a week ago .
Senior Punjab police officer Imran Kishwar said on Saturday that the police have also identified 40 students involved in the vandalism and violence.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and local police have already arrested 16 persons during the week, mostly vloggers and TikTokers, for their involvement in spreading the fake rape story, he said. People known for vandalism and violence will also be arrested, he said. Soon.
“We have also blocked 138 social media accounts spreading fake news about the incident,” he said.
The FIA said technical reports from the cyber crime wing had identified social media accounts of 38 senior journalists, lawyers, vloggers and TikTokers who were involved in sharing alleged fake propaganda news, inciting the general public to join action against the government. Were found involved in instigation. Private infrastructure.
At least 50 students were injured and a security guard was killed during massive protests in several cities of Punjab province last week following social media reports about the alleged rape of a student by a security guard at a women’s college in Lahore. The guard died. The police had also detained more than 600 students.
Later, an investigation committee formed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz found no evidence of rape in the college, nor any eyewitnesses.
The committee conducted interviews with approximately 28 students, who mentioned that they had heard about the incident from others. The committee report said that the matter was sensationalized through social media posts.
Maryam Nawaz accused jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of taking advantage of the case through social media.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
