Delhi Police has registered four cases over alleged fake news and rumours linked to protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while monitoring social media platforms and seeking the removal of posts that officials said could disturb public order. The police action includes the removal of around 500 posts and an investigation into several Pakistan-based or Pakistan-registered social media accounts.
According to the report, police became more alert after posts circulated claims about violence during the protests. Some posts allegedly claimed that several people had died, that Delhi Police had opened fire on demonstrators, that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been injured and that the Army had entered Delhi. Police said these claims were false and could create tension during the demonstrations.
Additional Commissioner of Police Sanjay Bhatia said Delhi Police’s IFSO unit has a specialised cyber-patrolling team that examines social media posts. He said action is taken when content appears false, is intended to spread rumours and has the potential to affect law and order or promote disorder.
Bhatia said investigators had sought registration details for one social media handle and found that its IP address was from Pakistan. The police are investigating the alleged Pakistan connection, and the available report does not establish that the wider claims about an organised operation or the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence have been proven. Police said more information would be shared as the investigation produces further evidence.
The report said Delhi Police had also contacted X to seek the removal of protest-related fake news. Police are monitoring multiple platforms to identify posts that could spread rumours, incite unrest or disrupt public order. Several Pakistan-based pages were allegedly deactivated as part of the action, although the report does not provide details of the platforms, accounts or the legal orders involved.
The cases come as protests related to the Chief Election Commissioner continue to generate online activity and competing claims. For residents, the police response places the focus on how rapidly unverified information can circulate during public demonstrations, and on the role of law-enforcement agencies and social media companies in responding to it.
The report attributed the wider claim about a Pakistani social-media toolkit to an India Today report and said the alleged foreign-linked accounts were being examined. It also cited ANI while reporting Bhatia’s comments on the cyber investigation. No independent details of the four case numbers, the legal sections invoked or the status of any arrests were provided in the source report.
Delhi Police has said monitoring and action against posts allegedly intended to spread misinformation or create disorder will continue. The next developments will depend on the findings of the cyber investigation and any further evidence shared by the police.
