Bihar Police freezes bank accounts of YouTuber Manish Kashyap over spreading fake news on social media
WEST CHAMPARAN(BIHAR): Manish Kashyap, a YouTuber accused of spreading fake news about attacks on migrant laborers in Tamil Nadu, has surrendered before the Bihar Police after being on the run. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) had been pressuring him to surrender, and had already frozen his bank accounts with deposits totaling over 42 lakh rupees.
Kashyap had created a video claiming that migrant laborers in Tamil Nadu were being attacked, which went viral on social media. The video turned out to be fake, and was condemned by various organizations and political leaders. The Tamil Nadu police had also filed a case against Kashyap for spreading fake news.
तमिलनाडु में कामकाजी बिहार के निवासियों के लिए असत्य, भ्रामक एवं उन्माद फ़ैलाने वाले वीडियो को प्रसारित करने एवं आर्थिक अपराध थाना कांड सं0 3/23 तथा 4/23 के अभियुक्त मनीष कश्यप ने बिहार पुलिस एवं EOU के दबिश के कारण बेतिया के जगदीशपुर थाने में किया आत्मसमर्पण।#BiharPolice
— Bihar Police (@bihar_police) March 18, 2023
Kashyap is the founder of the SACHTAK Foundation, an NGO that claims to work towards social welfare. The HDFC Bank account of the foundation has the largest deposit, amounting to over 34 lakh rupees.
The spread of fake news on social media has become a major issue in India, with incidents like the one involving Kashyap leading to communal tensions and violence. The government has taken steps to regulate social media platforms and curb the spread of fake news, but the problem persists. The arrest of Kashyap is being seen as a warning to others who spread fake news on social media.