Hyderabad: A cautionary message stating, “Request all the female folk to be cautious and highly watchful. Avoid travelling alone, especially at night and in deserted areas” created a buzz among netizens in the city on Wednesday.
The viral message posted on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram read: “Nearly 82 people went missing in Telangana within just 24 hours on Saturday, 35 of whom are middle-aged women.” This message made it to WhatsApp groups, too.
This compelled the Telangana police to clarify the claim. From the Director General’s office to district commissionerates, including Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad, all the offices sent out a cautionary notice.
Telangana’s Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy said, “There is nothing to panic about. The department in 2018 traced 85 percent of all the people who were reported missing through the year. A majority of the missing cases are a result of poor performance in examinations, rejection in love, property disputes, etc.” Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar called these messages ‘untrue’ and said sharing/encouraging the same could attract legal consequences.
