Bihar YouTuber arrested for making fake videos of attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu

Patna: The Bihar and Tamil Nadu police have filed several cases against popular YouTuber Manish Kashyap for allegedly creating fake videos of Bihari migrant labourers in the southern state. Kashyap was detained on Saturday morning. In this instance, this has been a third arrest.

When the Bihar Police and its Economic Offenses Unit arrived at Kashyap's house to seize his property, he turned himself in and was taken into custody at the Jagdishpur police station of Bettiah in the West Champaran district. He's accused of disseminating films that were untrue and deceptive about Bihari citizens who were employed in Tamil Nadu, NDTV reported.

"Kashyap, wanted by Bihar Police and Tamil Nadu Police in fake news matter of labourers issue in the southern state, surrendered before the police on Saturday fearing arrest and attachment of his belongings," a statement issued by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police said.

The EOU has registered three cases against Kashyap and others on the charges of "indulging in spreading fake videos of migrants being killed and beaten up in Tamil Nadu on social media".

After obtaining arrest warrants for Manish Kashyap and Yuvraj Singh Rajput on March 15, the state police established a special squad and carried out raids in other states to apprehend them.

"Six teams constituted by the EOU along with Patna and Champaran Police were continuously conducting raids on his locations at various places and hideouts since yesterday (Friday). He surrendered at Jagdishpur police station of Bettiah on Saturday, fearing arrest and other legal action," the police statement added.

Manish Kashyap, alias Tripurari Kumar Tiwari, had all of his bank accounts frozen earlier after the authorities discovered evidence of financial irregularities against him. Additionally, he was accused by the police of posting a fake photo of his arrest on his official Twitter account in order to disseminate false information.

On March 6, the EOU filed its first FIR about the case and detained four people, including Kashyap.

Aman Kumar from Jamui has already been taken into custody by EOU agents as part of their probe into the initial FIR. Aman Kumar, Rakesh Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh Rajput, and Manish Kashyap were mentioned in that FIR.

Additional Director General of Bihar Police (Headquarters) JS Gangwar, spoke to reporters last week and stated that the EOU investigation uncovered 30 fake videos showing migrants in Tamil Nadu getting beaten up and killed. These videos that were widely shared on social media platforms caused panic among the workers and many of them fled the southern state.

13 complaints have also been filed by the Tamil Nadu Police to investigate the situation.

Prior to that, the Bihar government had also dispatched a four-person squad of top officials to Tamil Nadu in order to work with the investigators there.