A WhatsApp message claimed that the city is on red alert following an intelligence input, the Bangalore police,however,stated that it was all a rumour.
Bangalore police have arrested three IM members.Reuters File

The Bangalore police have rubbished the claims that went viral on WhatsApp that several parts of the city will be targeted by terrorists.

Bangalore Police Commissioner MN Reddi said in an official statement that "there is no such threat perception. There is no credence to such rumours."

The rumours reportedly originated via a WhatsApp message that was widely being shared on Tuesday.

"Bangalore is on red alert tomorrow. They suspect terrorist activities in the city," the hoax message stated.

It further claimed that Karnataka Home Minister KJ George has asked people to be on alert against a possible terrorist attack, based on the inputs from the intelligence units.

The false message also stated that while IT companies such as Infosys and Wipro were 'prime targets.' It added that the public must avoid travelling to Rajajinagar, Vijayanagar, Jayanagar, Koramangala and areas close to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

This is not the first time that a WhatsApp message has alarmed the public. Back in 2012, the city had witnessed an exodus of Northeast people from the city after a 'WhatsApp' message, stating that Muslims were planning an attack on people of northeast, post-Eid, went viral.

The message claimed that the attack was to avenge the deaths in ethnic clashes between Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam.

The hoax terror alert report came just days after the city police arrested Mehdi Masroor Biswas, ISIS' Twitter jihadi, who ran his @ShamiWitness account, stated to be the most influential propaganda account.

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