Violence prompted by a Facebook post deemed objectionable has led to state authorities blocking Internet services in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal – less than 100 km to the east of Kolkata – to curb spread of rumors on social media and instant messaging services, reports ANI. Currently, section 144 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure), which deals with unlawful assembly, has been put in place in the area.

The allegedly objectionable Facebook post was shared by a 17-year old boy on Monday. By the evening of the same day, the boy had been arrested by local police, however by then the mob had already vandalised shops and put up blockades along major road connections in the area. There were clashes between the mob and the police as well.