19 October,2016 02:50 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
After a 22-year-old man died in police custody in Jharkhand, cops believe that the fault lies with the WhatsApp groups. These are the guidelines by Jharkhand cops
A 22-year-old man died in Jamtara district in Jharkhand reportedly after he was tortured when he was in police custody for forwarding a joke on beef on WhatsApp.
Although the man died in police custody, cops believe that the fault lies with the WhatsApp groups. So Jharkhand cops have come out with a circular saying that WhatsApp group admins will be held responsible for content in their groups, as reported by India Today.
In a circular issued in Dumka, Jharkhand, the government officials laid down guidelines.
1- WhatsApp group admins should understand that they have lots of responsibility and unless they are not willing to shoulder this responsibility, they should not be the group admin.
2- The group admins should only add people they know and are familiar with.
3- If someone spreads rumours in the group or says something that is false or wrong, the group admin should immediately delete that message and kick out the member who posted it.
4- If the WhatsApp message is a rumour and can affect peace within the society, it is the responsibility of the group admin to inform police immediately.
5- If the group admin doesn't react after rumours have been posted in the group, he or she will be held responsible and booked under provisions of IPC and IT Act.
In addition to WhatsApp groups, the circular issued by the cops also make it clear that rules regarding group admins apply on social media communities also.
