Chat screenshots between SDM, his deputy goes viral

Bhopal: An alleged fake screenshot of chat between Shahdol district collector and his deputy in which he was purportedly asking the latter to ensure victory of BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, has gone viral sparking a row.

The Shahdol sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Puja Tiwari who was shown as chatting partner of Shahdol district collector A. Srivastav in the screenshot, filed a FIR in the Kotwal police station in Shahdol town against unknown person for manufacturing the chat.

Sources said that Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer B.L. Kanta Rao spoke to Shahdol district collector and his deputy on the matter.

“Mr Rao was briefed by the two officers that the chat screenshot was forged and the matter was handed over to the cyber cell of the police,” a senior district officer told this newspaper.

“We have registered a case against unknown person under appropriate sections of cyber law for forging the screenshot. Probe is on into the incident”, the investigating officer said.

Police suspected that it might be a conspiracy by vested interests to manufacture the screenshot to taint the two senior district officers.