Two booked in Tamil Nadu over fake videos of attack on Tamilians in Karnataka

Chennai: Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday warned people against spreading rumours that Tamilians were being attacked in Karnataka over the Cauvery water sharing issue and also filed cases against two people for posting fake news on social media, officials aware of the matter said.

This comes a day after farmers in both states engaged in protests. Farmers burnt effigies, held mock funerals of chief ministers and staged an agitation with dead rats over the 150-year-old dispute. But no incidents of violence or vandalism were reported.

The two cases were filed in districts of Madurai and Tirunelveli. One accused T Seeman was booked in Madurai under sections 53, 153A, 504, 505 (1) (b), 505 (2) of the IPC and 67/IT Amendment Act 2008, said police. He has posted on Facebook an old video of a lorry driver being beaten in Bengaluru as an incident which happened now due to the Cauvery issue. Similarly another person named Selvan has been booked by the Tirunelveli police under sections 153, 153A and 505(1) of the IPC.

“By posting such false news and videos which is being shared they have created public disharmony between the two states,” said a senior police official. “The police teams are on the look out for them. They will be arrested soon. We are issuing a stern warning to people against spearing such rumours that could lead to a breakdown in law and order. Wrongdoers will face legal action.”

The Supreme Court last week refused to interfere in the enforcement of the water-sharing agreements between the states and the decisions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. On September 18, the Cauvery Water Management Authority asked Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, upholding The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s September 12 order demanding the same.