Madurai : Just as criminals use mule bank accounts of unsuspecting or unrelated people to move illicit money, gangsters in southern Tamil Nadu are using mule social media handles to issue murder threats.
With police cracking down on provocative posts following history-sheeter ‘Sullan’ Madan’s murder on Oct 18 at Melamangalam in Sivaganga district, gang members are paying ₹400 per post to rent Instagram accounts of people with no apparent criminal connection. Some youngsters’ confessions that they got ₹400 to upload material supplied by another account went viral. Sivaganga police have blocked 44 handles — 41 Instagram and three Facebook accounts — and registered six FIRs over provocative posts since Sunday. Under Operation Digital Vigil, South Zone police registered 342 FIRs, arrested 193 people and blocked or removed 519 posts across 10 districts and Tirunelveli city this year until Oct 22. Thoothukudi accounted for 59 FIRs, Tirunelveli 57 and Dindigul 50.
Those commissioning the posts dictate the dialogue, background music, editing and tone, allowing threats to appear on profiles outside the police radar,” said a senior police officer. “Social media had transformed the way caste identity was asserted, with provocative reels replacing public gatherings, banners and processions,” said dalit rights activist S Karuppiah. “Account holders receive content and instructions through Instagram chats and WhatsApp. “Some of these handles are of people in other districts. The problem extends beyond Sivaganga.
Following police warnings on Wednesday and Thursday, several users deleted the videos and pleaded ignorance of the feuds.