YouTuber Manish Kashyap, who was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police for spreading fake videos alleging attacks on Bihari migrant labourers in the state, has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA) on Thursday, April 6.
Manish was reportedly presented before a Madurai court on Wednesday, April 5, which extended his judicial custody for 15 days. He was later sent to the Madurai Central Prison.
The Bihar-based YouTuber was brought to Tamil Nadu on March 28 and was booked by the Madurai Cybercrime Wing for spreading fake news and videos about Bihari migrant labourers being attacked in the state. He had surrendered at the Jagdishpur police station in Bihar’s West Champaran on March 18.
According to the reports, Manish, during the Economic Offences Wing’s (EOU) interrogation had revealed that he had political ambitions and was anticipating ticket to elections from Shiv Sena which was later denied to him owing to the communal cases registered against him. He later unsuccessfully contested the 2020 assembly elections as an independent candidate.
In the first week of March, videos of north Indian migrant workers being attacked in Tamil Nadu were shared widely on social media. The TN Director General of Police (DGP) issued a video saying that the videos are fake and do not show migrant labourers being attacked by Tamil people.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also met some of the north Indian labourers in the state and urged them to not believe what was being shown in the fake viral videos. He had also guaranteed assistance from the state for the migrant labourers. A grievances helpline was also launched for the migrant labourers after the incident.