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The Greater Chennai Police have arrested a man for allegedly spreading false and defamatory information about the Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Ramesh on social media.
According to the police, on July 13, 2026, several social media posts falsely linked the Minister to allegations concerning temple land. The posts allegedly claimed, without evidence, that temple land worth around ₹100 crore had been illegally transferred to one of the Minister’s relatives. Police said the posts contained false, misleading and defamatory information, and were intended to create confusion among the public, erode confidence in the government, incite people against the government, and disturb public order.
Based on a complaint lodged by Muthuraman, junior assistant to the Minister, the Central Crime Branch’s Cyber Crime Wing registered a case and launched an investigation.
During the inquiry, police identified the person who had allegedly uploaded the controversial posts as Vinoth Suryakumar (34), and arrested him. The accused was produced before the Saidapet Court. Police said further investigation is under way to identify other persons and social media accounts connected to the case.
Published – July 16, 2026 12:25 pm IST
