Delhi Police warns against fake news amid ongoing student protests

Delhi Police has warned against fake narratives on social media amid student protests over the NEET paper leak. Authorities debunked a protester's death and confirmed over 400 social media handles from Pakistan were blocked for spreading misinformation.

Delhi Police on Saturday warned against the spread of fake narratives and incorrect news through social media during the ongoing student protests.

In a briefing in the national capital, amid the ongoing student protest on the NEET paper leak, DCP Central Rohit Rajbir Singh said that on social media, especially Instagram, a lot of fake posts are being spread. "A protest has been going on at Jantar Mantar for the past several weeks by the Cockroach Janata Party. Information on social media goes viral very quickly, but not every post, video, or photo is necessarily accurate. It is extremely important to fact-check any information before trusting it or sharing it further. The Delhi Police is also continuously monitoring social media," the DCP said. "We are continuously sharing information on fake news, AI and deepfake videos, edited clips, and misleading posts through our social media handles so that people can differentiate between true and false information."

Police Debunk Protester Death Rumour

The official said that the news of the death of a protester on July 20 is false. "Delhi Police has debunked the claim made in a social media post that there was a death during the protest on July 20. During the protest, there was no death of anybody," he said.

"It is hereby informed that the woman is alive and is currently admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital. The attending doctors have confirmed that her condition is stable and that she is out of danger," said the notice issued by Delhi Police had posted on X previously. DCP Singh said that the Delhi Police had also taken to social media to debunk the social media posting as fake.

Over 400 Social Media Handles From Pakistan Blocked

Further, he said, "Our investigation also revealed that some social media accounts operated from Pakistan are spreading fake content. Delhi Police, in collaboration with the concerned agencies, is continuously working to identify more such accounts. More than 400 such handles have been identified so far and blocked for spreading AI-generated content, deepfake videos, edited photos and other false content related to the protests," the police official said.

"Some such handles were also found active in spreading fake information during Operation Sindoor. These social media accounts tried to mislead people by editing official statements of several senior officers and manipulating visual content" he added.

Security Strengthened at Jantar Mantar

Meanwhile, Delhi Police strengthened security around Jantar Mantar by installing additional barricades. (ANI)

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