Irresponsible social media brands Kashmir doctor as militant, Police registers case

Srinagar: Photograph of a doctor circulated in Yet again acting in an arbitrary and irresponsible way, some users on social media particularly on facebook and WhatsApp uploaded the photograph of a renowned doctor dubbing him as the brother of IPS who has joined militancy.
Some news portals reported on Sunday morning that brother of an IPS officer from South Kashmir’s Shopian district has gone missing and reportedly he has joined militant ranks. The news reports identified the missing youth as a BUMS doctor Shamsul Haq.
As the news went viral, some irresponsible and non-professional netizens mostly the admins of news pages and news groups on facebook and WhatsApp social networking sites uploaded the photograph of renowned Gastroenterologist Dr Mir Samiullah who is also the owner of State Hospital located at Sanat Nagar.
“I was shocked after my well-wishers and friends informed me about the development. Almost everyone on facebook and WhatsApp had posted my photograph labeled me as one who has joined militancy. I tried my best to contact some of the admins requesting them to remove the photograph but was unable to trace the person who was actually responsible for the mischief,” Dr Mir Samiullah said.
“Unless social media is regulated, irreparable damage will be done to individuals or to society, as the material usually uploaded on social media is bogus, inflammatory or defamatory or otherwise harmful to people,” Mir said adding that he has filed an FIR against mischief mongers while police assure of strict action.
It has become a routine for some irresponsible netizens to post fake news with fake photographs. Police have so far arrested dozens of such mischief mongers. Recently, a picture of a shopkeeper was circulated with an assault rifle and he was branded as newly recruited militant from Ganderbal. A youth was also arrested from Bundzoo Pulwama for the similar act.