Lahore police arrest 16 social media activists for spreading 'fake news' of Lahore college rape

Lahore: The police have arrested 16 individuals for spreading misinformation on social media regarding the alleged rape incident at a private college in Lahore.

According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Imran Kishore, the police have blocked 138 social media accounts that were spreading fake news about the incident.

Additionally, 40 students involved in vandalism and violence have been identified.

The DIG stated that action is being taken against those who created chaos by spreading false information on social media.

Earlier, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz stated that PTI and PML-Q were responsible for spreading fake news about a sexual assault involving a female student at a private college in Punjab.

The news of the alleged rape went viral on social media on October 13, with various accounts claiming that a security guard sexually assaulted a fist year intermediate student in the basement of Punjab College Campus 10 in Lahore’s Gulberg area.

On October 14, ASP Sheherbano Naqvi released a video statement alongside the victim’s father and uncle, describing the incident as “propaganda” and “misinformation.” 

The victim’s uncle revealed that the girl was in the ICU after falling down the stairs at home and that the false reports had caused severe mental distress for the family.