Karnataka ramps up border surveillance of poultry trucks as bird flu hits neighbouring states
Bengaluru: Karnataka has ramped up its border surveillance and monitoring efforts following an avian (bird) flu outbreak in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The state’s Animal Husbandry Department has reportedly increased checks on poultry trucks entering from these states, with particular focus on the districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, and Belagavi.
A senior official told Deccan Herald that although zero cases have been reported in Karnataka, every poultry truck crossing the state’s borders is thoroughly inspected, and officials are closely monitoring poultry farms for any signs of bird deaths. "We are also watching water bodies that see many migratory birds for any risks of infections or deaths," the official added.
Ansar Ahmed, the project director for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, reassured the public that no bird flu cases have been detected in Karnataka. He emphasised the importance of basic hygiene practices, urging the public to wear gloves, shoes, and masks when handling animals or raw meat, wash hands frequently, consume only properly cooked meat, avoid mixing raw and cooked meat, and steer clear of contact with suspected infected animals. He also advised getting the seasonal flu vaccine for added protection.
While some local chicken sellers have reported a decline in sales, the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders’ Association noted that there has been no drop in statewide demand or supply, the report mentioned.
Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, told DH that there is "absolutely no cause for concern". He stated that officers are continuously monitoring poultry farms, and there is a standard protocol to isolate poultry if there is any death reported in any of them.
“We have more than sufficient stocks of the treatment — an anti-viral tablet — in our state medical supplies corporation godowns,” he added.
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Gurugram Police arrest BJP Yuva Morcha member for spreading fake murder story on social media
New Delhi: Gurugram Police have arrested BJP Yuva Morcha member Hariom Mishra, for allegedly spreading a fabricated and communally sensitive story on social media about the murder of a college student in Gurugram.
Mishra who is also known as Shaurya Mishra had shared a collage of four photographs on his X handle earlier this month. He claimed that a 24-year-old college student, identified as Nikita Agarwal, had been murdered by her classmate Arif Khan in Gurugram. In the post, he alleged that the woman was blackmailed, forced into prostitution, gangraped, and eventually killed. He also claimed that Arif dumped her body in a forest. The claims were presented as being based on police sources.
The post went viral and garnering over 1.5 lakh views, and was amplified by several right-wing social media handles across X, Facebook and Instagram. A verification of the claims revealed that no such incident had taken place in Gurugram. A search of credible news reports showed no record of any such murder. The police said this news would have inevitably attracted media attention if it were true.
On December 11, Gurugram Police publicly refuted the claims through their official X handle. They stated that the information which was being circulated was completely false. The police warned that legal action would be taken against those spreading misinformation. Despite the warning, Mishra neither deleted the post nor issued any clarification.
Police in Gurugram confirmed Mishra's arrest on December 16. The police said a FIR was filed after he continued to spread false information about the alleged murder of a Hindu woman by Muslim man. Police said Mishra, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district, is now being investigated.
Gurugram Police spokesperson Sandeep Singh told The Print that the accused had deliberately misrepresented facts and used objectionable content to spread hatred along religious lines. “Such posts can create serious disturbances in society, and the police take these matters very seriously,” he said.
A reverse image search conducted by fact-checkers at Alt News, revealed that the photographs used in the viral post were unrelated to the claims, while two of the images were traced to a Pinterest account belonging to influencer Maulik Chopra and another image was sourced from an Instagram post by influencer Shivam Thakur featuring a woman named Deepanshi Rawat. The fourth image was found on an unrelated Instagram page. The images depicted different individuals and had no connection to any crime.
Police said they are also investigating Mishra’s motive behind sharing the false and provocative content.
