Bihar YouTuber detained under NSA in Tamil Nadu for fake videos …

A YouTuber from Bihar who was arrested for spreading fake videos of attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu was on Thursday detained under the National Security Act, the police told PTI. The Madurai Crime Branch had registered a case against the YouTuber, Manish Kashyap[1], last month. He had surrendered at Jagdishpur police station in Bihar's West Champaran district on March 18.

Last month, several videos had been shared on social media showing migrant workers, especially from Bihar, being attacked and even killed in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Police and state officials as well as fact-checkers said that the claims were fake[2]. Cases have been filed against Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Prashant Umrao, Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, pro-government website OpIndia's editor Nupur Sharma and chief executive officer Rahul Roushan, and a few YouTubers and Twitter handles for spreading disinformation.

Madurai Superintendent of Police Shiva Prasad told PTI that Kashyap was detained under the National Security Act, which allows for detention for up to a year without trial. On Wednesday, a Madurai district court remanded the YouTuber to judicial custody till April 19. An unidentified official from the Economic Offences Unit[3] of Bihar had earlier told The Hindu that Kashyap had "strong political ambition".

The official added, "This man was desperate to become a politician and he can go to any extent for that. The purpose behind spreading fake videos was to create sensation and to become a hero. He wanted to portray himself as the messiah of poor people.

He wanted to defame the government and the system. He also wanted to become the talk of the town by spreading fake videos on social media. He basically wanted to create a situation of discord."

Also read:

1. Explained: How disinformation and politics made migrant workers flee Tamil Nadu[4]
2. Mohammad Zubair gets flurry of online threats after busting misinformation on migrant worker attacks[5]

References

1. ^ Manish Kashyap (scroll.in)
2. ^ claims were fake (scroll.in)
3. ^ Economic Offences Unit (www.thehindu.com)
4. ^ Explained: How disinformation and politics made migrant workers flee Tamil Nadu (scroll.in)
5. ^ Mohammad Zubair gets flurry of online threats after busting misinformation on migrant worker attacks (scroll.in)