Any discount is a good discount, and if you are being offered a 50 % discount for your traffic challans in Hyderabad, why would you not want it? But perhaps you would want to check with the Hyderabad Traffic police if that information is accurate. Fake news about such a discount on traffic challans saw many traffic offenders visit the Goshamahal police grounds on Sunday, despite an earlier clarification through social media.
The fake message has been doing the rounds on social media with the header ‘Hyderabad City Traffic Police’ and was being widely shared on WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms for over three weeks. The fake message gained more traction when several local media bought into the fake news without verifying with the Hyderabad Traffic Police.
The message read, “Hyderabad Traffic Police will conduct Lok Adalat on December 23 at Goshamahal so please check your vehicle pending challans, drink and etc. pay only 50 %”.
Soon after the message went viral, the Hyderabad Traffic Police issued a clarification over Facebook informing the public that the message was fake.
But this post with just 44 shares failed to gain the viral status of the fake news about discounted challans.
On Sunday, many who visited the Goshamahal police grounds were turned away by the police on duty. Policemen eventually got annoyed and put up a notice that read, “We witnessed a message is going viral on social media that there will be a traffic Lok Adalat on December 23 of this month. Hyderabad Traffic Police inform all citizens that the message is fake news,".
The notice was posted outside the sports complex, reported Ajay Moses, a reporter with The New Indian Express, who then spoke to the Traffic Deputy Commissioner of Police K Babu Rao, "It could be work of a few miscreants. We have already posted about the message being fake news on Facebook.” The official added saying the department had no plans to give out such discounts in the future.