The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday lodged a First Information Report against locals for using social media platforms on virtual private networks (VPNs).
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“Taking a serious note of the misuse of social media, the Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone, Srinagar, has registered an FIR against various social media users, who defied the government orders and misused the social media platforms,” a Srinagar-based police spokesman said on Monday.
‘Unlawful activities’
The police said there were continuous reports of misuse of social media sites by miscreants “to propagate the secessionist ideology and to promote unlawful activities”.
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The FIR has been registered while taking cognisance of the social media posts by miscreants by using different VPNs, which are propagating rumours with regard to the current security scenario in the Kashmir valley, secessionist ideology and glorifying terrorists, the police said.
‘Incriminating material’
“A lot of incriminating material has also been seized in this regard,” the spokesman said.
The case is registered under FIR No. 01 of 2020 U/S 13 U A (P) Act, 188, 505 of IPC and 66-A(b) of the IT Act.
“I appeal to the general public not to use social media via VPNs,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said.
The J&K government had on January 14 banned all social media sites. The ban, the government said, was to curb the misuse of sites by miscreants for propagating false information “having the effect of causing social instability”.
