New Delhi:  A senior police officer has been given charge to keep a vigil on rumours in social media and as many as 16 people have been arrested in connection with the lynching of two men in Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a high-level meeting to review the situation and asked Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia to prevent spread of rumours and take action against troublemakers.

At a press conference, Saikia said among those arrested, included the man who allegedly fanned the rumour on social media that child lifters have entered Assam. While Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Agarwal is monitoring the investigation, ADGP Harmeet Singh has been given the charge to keep vigil on rumours on the social media, he said.

The DGP appealed to the people not to get swayed by rumours on social media and immediately inform the police if they came across any such post. The police have released some telephone numbers for the people to contact them in this regard.

They can also inform the nearest police station or the superintendent of police or the police headquarter in Guwahati about it, he said. The cyberspace is very wide and requires more people to monitor it and Chief Secretary T Y Das has given a nod to bring in more people to monitor social media, the DGP said.