Kozhikode: Kerala DGP Loknath Behra on Thursday issued strict orders to respective officers to charge cases against people, who spread messages on social media, which instigate violence on Sabarimala issue.

 In view of protests getting out of control yesterday, the district administration has declared section 144 to reinstate peace and order in the region. After that, there was an audio clip spreading through WhatsApp instigating violence to defy the prohibitory orders in Nilakkal, which is the base camp of Sabarimala. The audio clip urged people to come to Nilakkal in the traditional black dress and coconut offering called irumudikkettu to make the police believe that they are devotees. The audio clip claimed it’s from Antharastra Vishwa Hindu Parishat (AHP).

The sharing of this kind of sensitive message would be taken care of seriously by cyber department and the offenders would be taken into custody and punished with immediate effect, said the Kerala police.

Women journalists were attacked by these protestors and female devotees, who came to Sabarimala, have been forcibly sent back by the violent mob.

Republic TV’s south India bureau chief Pooja Prasanna was attacked by protesters while reporting. Reporters from CNN News 18 were also manhandled by the mob. Today, the New York Times' journalist Suhasini Raj, along with her colleague, was also forcibly sent back by the violent mob. The journalist was badly attacked by the protestors and she has filed a case against the protestors, who attacked her.