Kannur: The police on Monday arrested three people for circulating a fake photo showing chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan having food on a plantain leaf at the newly inaugurated police station in his home town on June 30.
Those arrested were V N Muhammed, K Maneesh, both hailing from Mattannur, and Ancharakandy native K Sajith Kumar. In the edited photo, the chief minister is seen scooping up a ball of rice as senior cops including state police chief (SPC) Lokanath Behera stand beside him. In reality, the CM was examining the general diary after inaugurating the police station.
Case registered
An online defamation case was registered at the new police station. Alongside the SPC were inspector general of police Balram Kumar Upadhyay, additional director general of police Anil Kanth, district police chief G Shiv Vikram and the local station house officer A V Dineshan.
Many arrests
Last month, a Keralite NRI was arrested for issuing a death threat against Pinarayi in a Facebook live, which went viral. Krishnakumar Nair, a native of Kothamangalam, lost his job in an oil firm in Abu Dhabi after several people complained against his Facebook post. He was arrested by the police as he arrived in Delhi last month and has been remanded.
Several incidents of people being arrested for posting objectionable content targetting the chief minister were reported after Pinarayi assumed office in May 2016.
In April this year, the police arrested a native of Kinassery for posting a defamatory photograph of Pinarayi on social media. Kaladharan, 45, was arrested on the basis of a complaint from some CPM activists. He posted the photo along with a caption, saying 'Ellam Seriyakkitharam' (Everything will be set right). The caption alluded to the ruling front's motto, 'LDF varum, ellam seriyakum.'
Last year, the Kelakam police had registered a case against Jobin Pandamcheri, a Youth Congress activist, for posting a fake photo of Pinarayi wearing a bishop’s attire.
The Hi-Tech Crime enquiry cell of the Kerala police, that was created to tackle cyber crimes, had last year reportedly issued a warning to a Facebook group called 'Outspoken' that publishes memes flaying Pinarayi.
