FIR against news portal Opindia for spreading fake news

Tiruvallur (Chennai): Avadi police have registered an FIR against News Portal 'Opindia.com' for spreading fake news and creating a sense of fear among migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.

According to a police release, Thirunindravur Police Station in Avadi has registered a case based on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) IT wing member's complaint seeking action against the website CEO Rahul Rusan and editor Nupur Sharma.

Further details are awaited on the matter.

Outrightly dismissing the reports of alleged 'attacks' on Bihari migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu, the state's top police official on Monday said that the situation is peaceful and the workers have resumed their work.

The police official said that the videos which were circulated on social media regarding the alleged 'attacks' were fake and most of them did not even take place in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to ANI, Tamil Nadu DGP C Sylendra Babu also urged the media to act responsibly while also asking the people not to spread any such messages on social media which are "offensive".

"The situation now is peaceful and the workers have resumed their work. A few of them have left for Holi celebrations. They had already booked their tickets and therefore they are gone, otherwise, we are able to convince them through the employers. The police officers have reached out to the migrant workers and also convinced them that there is no such incident of attack on Bihari workers or workers from any other state here. Whatever they have seen in the media that the migrant labourers are attacked, they are all fake videos," the police official said.

He said that the migrant labourers are now convinced, as a result of the reach out by the police.

"Most of them have not even taken place in Tamil Nadu. They were now convinced. In the places where the north Indian workers were employed, we have intensified the police patrol. Hindi-speaking police officers are in constant touch with them," he said.

The DGP informed that special helplines were set up in districts including Erode, Tripur, Coimbatore, and Chennai to encourage people to come forward to give a complaint "if at all there is any".

"There has been not even one complaint from them," he said.