Hegde had shared a post on social media that the monk was attacked by a Muslim group and he was injured. However, the social media posts have since been deleted.
Postcard News editor Mahesh Hegde. (Photo: Twitter)
Mahesh Vikram Hegde, the founder of Postcard News, an online news website, was arrested by Bengaluru Crime Branch for allegedly spreading fake news.
The arrest was made after a case was registered against him at a Cyber Crime Police Station in Bengaluru. He was booked under Section 66 of the the Information Technology Act and under Sections 153A of the IPC.
As per media reports, on 18 March, Hegde had shared a post on social media that the monk was attacked by a Muslim group and he was injured. However, the social media posts have since been deleted.
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Contrary to Hegde’s false claims, the Jain monk was injured in a road accident after a motorcycle rider hit him when he was on his way to Kanakagiri from Nanjangud near Mysore.
Postcard founder-editor, Hegde, was arrested on the basis of two complaints – one of which was filed by the general secretary of the Bengaluru District Congress Committee, the police said.
Hegde and his website have often been accused of writing fake news stories. Incidentally, Hegde is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.
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