Who is behind social media accounts defaming Maharashtra govt, asks NCP  

Facebook and Twitter should declare who owns fake social media accounts that were allegedly created to defame the Maharashtra government and its police, the NCP demanded on Tuesday.

The poser from the NCP, a partner in the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, came in the backdrop of news reports about existence of a large numer of fake social media accounts.

NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase, in a statement, said that these accounts were created in connection with actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death case.

As many as 80,000 such accounts were opened to defame the Maharashtra government, its ministers and the Mumbai Police to gain benefits in the Bihar elections," Tapase said, citing a study by an American university.

Facebook and Twitter should declare who owns these fake accounts and from which IP addresses they were created, he demanded.

Tapase also asked the Centre to enact a law to ensure there is no media trial when judicial probe is on in any matter.

Earlier in the day, an official said the cyber cell here has registered two FIRs against unidentified persons for trolling the Mumbai police commissioner on social media and using abusive language against him and the city police.

The police have come to know that several fake social media accounts are being used for the purpose, the official said.

"Several social media account holders are trolling Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on different platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and using abusive language against him and the force," said Deputy Commissioner of Police, cyber cell, Rashmi Karandikar.