Police on Friday arrested a 29-year-old man for reportedly circulating a message through Whatsapp on children being kidnapped from at least five villages.
According to police, Veeraraghavan, a resident of Rice Mill Street in Purisai in Cheyyar taluk had circulated a video on Whatsapp in which he narrates that a number of children were abducted from a few villages in Cheyyar, Vandavasi, Anakkavoor and Kancheepuram. He circulated the video on May 2, a police attached to Anakkavoor station said.
R. Ponni, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvannamalai, said the Cybercrime Wing traced the source of the circulated video, following which police tracked down Veeraraghavan. Police arrested him and booked him under Sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of Indian Penal Code.
Following the spread of rumours of child abduction, there have been a number of attacks on strangers. On May 9, a 65-year-old woman was beaten to death by a group of villagers of Athimoor after they mistook her and four others for child kidnappers. Twenty three villagers have been arrested in the case.
