Postcard website’s founder arrested for spreading fake news in Paresh Mesta and other sensitive murder cases

Bhatkallys News Bureau/ Ismail Zaorez Mahesh Vikram Hegde, founder of Postcard News, has been arrested, by Karnataka police for posting content alleged to be fake on his website in a bid to communally sensationalize the murders and other anti-social activities with communally divisive posts and news items. As the news of his arrest started doing the rounds on social media, it was welcomed by a section of people particularly secular persuasion, who termed it to be a lesson for those indulging in such communally biased news posting and communally divisive content to disturb peace and law and order situation in parts of country. Hegde had also posted fake news content on his twitter and website when Uttara Kannada District was burning into the ashes of fire set by communal violence after the murder of Paresh Mesta in Honnavar of in December last year. Hegde, who is also followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on twitter, had posted on his twitter handle alleging that Paresh Mesta was tortured his body mutilated and heads splits into two because he was a member of Sangh Parivar. Later the post-mortem report had eliminated any sign of torture on Paresh's body and his father had denied Paresh's association with any political or right wing organizations. In another case, Hegde had posted a fake news about a Jain monk being attacked by Muslim youth in Bangalore. The truth was that the said monk had got hurt in a road accident in Kanakpura. Hegde had also posted images of the injured monk with his tweet saying, “No one is safe in Siddaramiah’s Karnataka.” His fake news was fervently shared by the right-wing brigade thousands of times. However, in his most controversial tweet Hegde had compared the Siddaramiah government to that of 'Taliban Government' in August last year and had alleged that the Hindus in the state are being asked to deposit 10 lac Rs. to celebrate Ganesh Chaturti. Hegde has reportedly been booked under Sections 120B, 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code. While Section 120B deals with criminal conspiracy, the other provisions are specifically intended to counter societal disharmony and what could be considered “hate speech”. Several BJP leaders have been quick to throw their weight behind Hegde. They included Ananthkumar Hegde and Pratap Simha among others. Karnataka goes to polls on 12 May with the counting scheduled for 15 May.