Fake influencers case: Rapper Badshah questioned 3rd day in row
Mumbai: Rapper Badshah was questioned by the Mumbai Police's crime branch on the third consecutive day on Saturday in connection with the probe into a racket which creates and sells fake social media followers and 'likes', an official said.
Badshah reached the office of the crime branch at 3 pm where he was grilled by officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), he said.
The rapper has been called again for questioning on Monday, the official added.
The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) started probing the case after Bollywood singer Bhumi Trivedi found that somebody had created her fake profile on social media and complained to the police.
During the probe, the police unearthed a racket which creates fake social media profiles and sells fake followers and likes to celebrities and 'influencers'.
A celebrity or social media influencer can command a higher price for product endorsement if he or she has more followers. The police has recorded statements of nearly 20 people in the case. Meanwhile, Badshah has denied allegations against him.
"Following the summons, I have spoken to the Mumbai Police. I have aided the officials in their investigation by cooperating and carrying out the due diligence on my part.
"I've categorically denied all the allegations levelled against me and made it clear that I was never involved in such practices, nor do I condone them," he stated.
He said he had complete faith in law and investigators.
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Congress names candidates for 8 Haryana LS seats, fields Kumari Selja, Deepender Hooda
Chandigarh (PTI): The Congress on Thursday announced candidates for eight of the nine Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Haryana, fielding former Union minister Kumari Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and youth leader Divyanshu Budhiraja, besides two sitting MLAs.
The party has also fielded former MP Jai Prakash and leaders Satpal Brahmachari and Mahendra Pratap, according to the list released late Thursday evening.
The Congress is contesting nine of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. It has not yet announced its candidate for the Gurugram constituency.
The Aam Aadmi Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, will contest the Kurukshetra seat.
Congress general secretary and former Union minister Selja will contest from the Sirsa (reserved) seat and sitting MLAs Varun Choudhary and Rao Dan Singh from the Ambala (reserved) and the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seats, respectively.
Deepender Hooda, son of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will enter the fray from Rohtak. He has represented the Rohtak parliamentary constituency three times in the past.
Jai Prakash has been fielded from Hisar, the Congress' Haryana youth wing president Divanshu Budhiraja from Karnal, Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat and Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad.
