The Tripura High Court on Friday, 29 October, directed the state government to submit a detailed report on the incidents of vandalism and targeted attacks on religious minorities emerging in the news since 26 October.
A bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Subhashish Talapatra asked the State to file affidavits elucidating the 'preventive measures taken for scuttling the design of stoking communal passion', Bar and Bench reported.
The directive followed the State apprising the court on Friday, that it had made sufficient security arrangements in religious places belonging to minorities, and filed FIR's against inflammatory and misinformed social media posts, NDTV reported.
A mosque was allegedly vandalised and two shops owned by Muslims were set on fire during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally in Tripura's Chamtilla on Tuesday, news agency PTI had reported.
Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty had indicated that three residences and a few shops in Muslim-majority Rowa Bazar were also plundered.
As per reports, the attacks had come in the wake of vandalism of Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh.
A complaint has also been registered with the police in connection with the violence.
What More Did the Court Say
The bench stated, "We direct the state to initiate appropriate action against all such social media platforms in order to ensure that such false, fictitious and or fabricated news articles or visual footages do not come on to the social media platforms and even if they do so that they are removed at the earliest opportunity," NDTV quoted.
Further, pulling up social media, the court urged online platforms to 'act responsibly'.
"It should not be allowed to be used to spread untruth and spread communal passion," the HC ordered, NDTV reported.
Earlier, Tripura Police Inspector General Law and Order Saurabh Tripathi was quoted as saying, "Fake news and rumours are being spread in regard to yesterday's incident at Panisagar. No fire incident took place at any mosque. A case has been registered against the viral fake posts on social media platforms."
(With inputs from PTI and Bar and Bench.)
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