Two more FIRs over ‘edited’ FB posts on unrest, police action

Noida: Two more FIRs have been registered over Facebook posts that police said were designed to malign the image of the force after the April 13 labour unrest in the city.The FIRs accused the users of two accounts of circulating “false” and “defamatory” claims that police had illegally picked up workers, “kidnapped” them and used coercion in custody. The cops dubbed the allegations baseless and dangerous, especially in the middle of an already volatile industrial flashpoint.Both complaints were filed by Sukhdev Singh, a sub-inspector posted at the Noida police media cell.In the first FIR, Singh said social media monitoring found that the Facebook page ‘Mazdoor Bigul’ — run by “Mazdoor Bigul organisation” and “people linked to it” — had shared posts, articles and messages portraying police action as “illegal, oppressive and persecutory”. According to the complaint, the content was aimed at creating distrust against police and the administration.The FIR said the posts falsely claimed that people were unlawfully picked up by police and subjected to coercive action in custody. Singh alleged that the material was circulated to “disturb law and order, provoke the public again and indirectly push people towards violence and unrest”.He further said the organisation used social media to spread “false and misleading information” to tarnish police’s image and create confusion and hostility among the public. The complaint added that during the workers’ agitation, “disruptive and mischievous elements” turned the protest violent, leading to large-scale damage to govt and private property, vandalism and arson in industrial units and vehicles.In the second FIR, Singh said he came across a video shared by another Facebook account on May 8. He alleged that an old police video had been edited and linked to the recent labour agitation to “inflame workers, disrupt smooth functioning of industrial units, harm the economy, disturb industrial peace and generate resentment against the state govt while tarnishing the police’s image”.A senior police officer said both FIRs were registered at Cyber police station against unknown persons under Section 353 of BNS, which deals with statements conducing to public mischief, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.So far, police have registered more than 10 FIRs across the district in connection with the April 13 protest.The agitation began on April 10 in Noida’s Phase 2 after Haryana govt raised wages of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers by 35%. It remained subdued for three days, but turned violent on April 13, when more than 100 factories were vandalised and vehicles were set on fire across the district.Police later filed multiple FIRs in Phase 2, Sector 63 and other police stations. Seven persons, including three women, were arrested for allegedly inciting the violence. On May 14, police also invoked the National Security Act against Satyam Verma (60) and Aakriti Choudhury (25).