Lahore: Law enforcement agencies have arrested more than a dozen vloggers and TikTokers. They are accused of spreading fake stories about the alleged rape of a girl student. This misinformation reportedly led to violent protests across Punjab province over a week ago.
Senior Punjab police officer Imran Kishwar said on Saturday that police have identified 40 students. These students were involved in vandalism and violence.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and local police already arrested 16 individuals, mostly vloggers and TikTokers, during the week for allegedly spreading a fake rape story. He added that authorities will soon arrest those identified for vandalism and violence.
“We have also blocked 138 social media accounts spreading fake news about the incident,” he added.
The FIA said that the cybercrime wing’s technical reports identified social media accounts of 38 individuals. These included senior journalists, lawyers, vloggers, and TikTokers. They shared the alleged fake propaganda and instigated the public to ransack government and private infrastructure.
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Punjab Protests
Massive protests turned violent across several cities in Punjab province last week. A social media report alleged that a security guard raped a female student at a women’s college in Lahore. The protests injured at least 50 students and resulted in the death of one security guard. Police also detained over 600 students.
Later, an investigative committee formed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz found no evidence of rape at the college, nor did it find any eyewitnesses.
The committee conducted interviews with around 28 students, who mentioned they had heard about the incident from others. The committee’s report stated that social media posts sensationalised the matter.
Maryam Nawaz blamed former jailed prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for exploiting the matter through social media.
This news is sourced from [NDTV] and is for informational purposes only.
