‘Take action against police personnel using fake social media accounts to post objectionable comments against dept. and higher-ups’

The Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority has demanded strict action against police personnel who create fake social media accounts to post defamatory and derogatory comments about the government, departmental orders, and senior officers. In a letter dated October 15, the authority's member Mohan Kumar Danappa called for the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police to issue clear directives prohibiting police officers from operating anonymous accounts to criticize government decisions, official directives, and senior police officers.

Danappa alleged that some officers were concealing their identities using fictitious names, including those of freedom fighters, to post abusive and defamatory content on various social media platforms. This content included criticism of government decisions, departmental orders, and official directives, as well as derogatory comments about the Chief Minister, Ministers, and elected representatives' social media posts. The misconduct also involved disclosing internal departmental information publicly.

The authority deemed these actions unauthorized and against conduct rules, urging the Social Media Monitoring cell to monitor these activities and take prompt suo motu action against personnel engaging in such behavior. The letter emphasized that the department should impose strict disciplinary consequences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and other relevant laws on those found participating in these unauthorized activities.