Kolkata Police crackdown on fake news & boost security after 'Operation Sindoor'
Kolkata Police
KOLKATA: Hours after chief minister
Mamata Banerjee
warned against fake news being spread following
Operation Sindoor
and rising tensions between India and Pakistan,
Kolkata Police
launched a major crackdown against those spreading fake and communally sensitive content aimed at disturbing social harmony.
According to highly placed sources at Lalbazar, the main cyber cell, the cyber unit of the Special Task Force, and divisional cyber cells were directed to form teams to continuously monitor social media and swiftly remove content 'harmful to the social fabric of society.' The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Social Media Cell, under the DD Cyber Cell, has been appointed as the nodal officer. 'Various inputs are being analysed and shared with central agencies,' said a police source.
Police recalled that last year, several social media accounts from Pakistan and Bangladesh actively spread misinformation about the RG Kar incident. Lalbazar identified and has been monitoring these accounts since then.
'Initially, 250 profiles were identified last year, and we contacted the profile owners individually. As the investigation progressed, Lalbazar detected a hint of 'foreign involvement' in spreading these rumours after it emerged that most fake news was merely forwarded or retweeted.'
by Taboola
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Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar also issued orders to the entire force, stepping up city-wide vigilance in the wake of Operation Sindoor. All leave has been cancelled except on medical grounds.
The top brass, through Joint Commissioner (Headquarters)
Meeraj Khalid
, issued instructions on Wednesday and again on Thursday for all police personnel to be more present at barracks and to increase night patrols, sources confirmed.
New measures include an immediate mandatory response to emergency calls and a full reassessment of security protocols, especially in sensitive and high-priority areas across Kolkata.
'All officers must ensure their availability round the clock and respond promptly to any emergency situations,' said a senior police official who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the operations. Police stations have been directed to deploy more officers during night shifts.
The directive highlights the need for higher alertness and faster responses to ensure public safety, especially in vulnerable areas and near key infrastructure.
'We have been instructed to ensure that all forms of communication systems at our disposal are working. For this, we have been instructed to complete all necessary overhauls at the earliest,' said an OC from a north Kolkata police station.
The police have not specified how long these enhanced security measures will remain in effect, but officials indicated they will continue until further notice.
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