A case has been registered against four Telegram channels for allegedly spreading misleading information to incite students and disturb law and order during the protest outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) here, police said on Sunday.

The Telegram channels against whom the FIR has been registered are PCM Abhyas, General Studies Edushala, Make IAS, and PCS Manthan, they said.

The FIR was registered under Section 318 (4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under the IT Act at Civil Lines police station on Thursday on a complaint lodged by Krishna Murari Chaurasia, in-charge of UPPSC police outpost, police said.

According to the FIR, misleading information was uploaded and circulated by various Telegram channels to incite students so that law and order could be disturbed.

Screenshots of the said channels have been attached with the complaint as evidence.

The students began their protest outside the UPPSC office on November 11 against its decision to conduct the preliminary examinations for Provincial Civil Services (PCS), Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) on two separate days and demanded that they be held on the same day.

On Thursday, the fourth day of the protest, the UPPSC postponed the RO-ARO exam and announced that it would hold the PCS exam in the old pattern in a single day. The commission also announced that it would form a committee on RO-ARO exam to ensure its transparency and fairness.

On Friday, the students called off their protest and the UPPSC announced that the PCS Preliminary Exam-2024 would be held in two shifts on December 22.