Co-founder of ‘Postcard News’ Mahesh Hegde arrested for spreading fake news

Bengaluru:: Co-founder of online portal ‘Postcard News’, Mahesh Vikram Hegde, was arrested by the CCB police on Thursday. He was arrested for spreading fake and communally sensitive news.

#Bengaluru: Postcard News founder #MaheshHegde arrested by Central Crime Branch on charges of running fake & communally sensitive news. pic.twitter.com/PzC4RryROL

— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2018

Mahesh Vikram Hegde had recently shared a photo captioning a photo of Jain monk Upadhyaya Mayank Sagar Ji Maharaj, who was recently injured in a road accident. Mr. Hegde wrote “Very sad news, yesterday in Karnataka Jain muni attacked by Muslim youth. No one is safe in Siddaramaiah’s Karnataka.” The same was tweeted on the Postcard News handle as well. The portal had earlier faced several charges of publishing material inciting communal sentiments. The police have also taken cognisance of an FIR registered against Postcard News in Sanjaynagar police station limits in December 2017. The portal had published a derogatory article on Kittur Rani Chennamma and Onake Obavva. The article saw much outrage. Image: ANI Soon after Mr. Hegde’s arrest, Pratap Simha, BJP MP, launched an attack on the ruling Congress, calling it a “cowardly act”. By late evening “#ReleaseMaheshHegde” was trending on many groups that support the BJP. There was also a counter thread trending, “#KeepMaheshLocked.” Mr. Hegde’s twitter handle is also followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.