Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram (SHP)

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14: On Monday, state police chief Loknath Behera stated that Kerala cyber police registered 19 cases against fake flood relief campaigns on social media.

According to Behera, social media pages and people associated with it would be arrested and probe against them will be conducted as per law.

This action came in after Kerala chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, spoke at a conference against the propaganda which discouraged people from contributing to CM’s relief fund.

"The propaganda that the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) has been spent for other purposes is wrong. Circulating misinformation has affected the rescue operations and discouraged people from taking appropriate decisions. A combined effort is needed to prevent rumours and fake news through social media," Vijayan said.

Volunteers involved with these relief campaigns expressed their distress over not receiving the right help due to the spread of misinformation. It has greatly impacted in prompting the public to contribute.

The havoc followed by the rains has resulted in the death of over 92 people and displaced several others. Over 2.6 lac people and more are currently in 1,500 relief camps across the state.