TSE, Aizawl, Jan 16 : The rampant misuse of social media in the State especially among the youth has become a grievous concern for the State Government as social media users tend to spread rumours that overwhelm and panick the public.

Speaking to the media at a press conference here Thursday, Home Minister R Lalzirliana strongly blamed and regretted the rampant misuse of social media in the State and said that a person misusing social media can be heavily punished by law. From 1999, police has so far submitted 7 charge sheets in a Court against the misuse of social media.

“Notwithstanding how it will be serious for others and if it is a violation of law, we see a rumours and strange occurrences being spread even before it is verified”, the Home Minister said adding that any type of news is rapidly spreading like wildfire through social media.

The Home Minister warned that anyone found spreading rumours and false news is liable to be punished under the IT law and other relevant Acts.

R Lalzirliana further said that the dissemination of baseless news and rumours have thwarted the investigation process. It easily distracts the attention of public to useless thoughts and it can also disturb maintenance of law and order.

“So, people should be cautious about the news before they disseminate it through social media. They should think in advance whether the news may have bad influence on the public,” he further said.

Zira also told media that there are some reckless people who use to falsely spread news about leaders in order to distort them by using fake account through social networking site Facebook. “These people think they are untraceable, but in fact they are easily traceable”, the Home Minister said.

Replying to a query, IGP Zorammawia who accompanied the Home Minister at the press conference said a person involved in illegally disseminating news or rumours can be investigated and probed without FIR being registered.

It is however better that the victim register an FIR, he advocated.

According to Zorammawia during 1999 and 2014, the Mizoram police registered over 50 cases against misuse of information technology.

Of the 50 cyber cases, 17 cases deemed as ‘serious’ were given to SP CID (Crime) from which chargesheet in 7 cases have been submitted to a Court.

Investigation on the remaining 8 cases is still on, he added.

Recently Mizoram police reportedly arrested a 22-year-old woman in Aizawl for allegedly spreading false news about a gangrape and murder on WhatsApp.

The whole chain started on Tuesday, when Whatsapp users in the city started sharing the “news” that seven men had gangraped and killed a woman in a Tuikhauhtlang locality.

Soon, “the news” reached the police who tried to confirm the crime. But it turned out that the news was false. As police zeroed-in on the woman who first spread the rumour, she gave this bizarre explanation : This ‘breaking news’ message was ‘a joke’.

This is not the first such case of rumour mongering on social media in Mizoram in recent years.

Last week, thousands of people reportedly gathered and raised a ruckus at a crime scene after photos of the victims’ bodies also spread through social media.

Earlier, photos of a decomposing body were spread on social media.