More than half fake news FIRs in metros filed in Kolkata – Times of India

KOLKATA: Over half of the FIRs lodged against fake news on social media in Indian cities in 2021 were in Kolkata. The city saw cops lodge 28 FIRs in 2021 regarding fake news being spread on social media.

NCRB says this is the highest number of such cases registered by any of the 19 cities with a population of more than 20 lakh. Forty-seven such cases were recorded nationwide. The remaining cases were lodged in Hyderabad and Mumbai, which recorded eight cases each. Pune recorded two cases and Ahmedabad just one.
Incidentally, 2021 was the year when Kolkata and rest of Bengal had witnessed the assembly elections.
Overall, the city reported 220 cases of cybercrimes in Covid-hit 2021, a rise from 172 cases reported in 2020 and a massive increase from 160 cases recorded in the pre-pandemic year 2019. “The hike of 28% can be attributed to the overall rise in cyber frauds during the pandemic,” said cyber expert Hrithik Lall.
At a time when Kolkata witnessed its overall crimes decreasing with 14,591cases in 2021 from 18,277 in 2020, this increase is reversing the trend, said city cops.
The rise in cybercrimes in Kolkata comes at a time when it has dropped across the nation. The total number of cases is miniscule compared to IT hubs like Bengaluru (6,423) and Hyderabad (3,303) or the financial capital, Mumbai (2,883).