KAJANG: A viral video of a group of motorcyclists chasing down a mosque hearse which was believed to be stolen was just a misunderstanding, said the police.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Naazron Abdul Yusof said they came to know of the video on Sunday.
"The 23-second video showed a group of men chasing the hearse, claiming it was stolen and involved in house break-in cases around Kajang and Hulu Langat.
"Based on our checks, at around 3.58pm on Sunday, we received a report from a 35-year-old man who was the van driver in the incident," he said in a statement today.
He said the complainant claimed he was driving the van through a neighbourhood in order to send it to a mechanic for repairs but went to the wrong address.
"He drove the vehicle slowly and a misunderstanding occurred which caused a group of men to stop the van and accuse him of stealing it and being involved in house break-ins.
"The complainant also alleged that the group tried to attack him with sticks and metal rods, which is why he fled the scene in the van," he said adding that investigations revealed that there were no reported cases of house break-ins or thefts.
Naazron said they checked with the 45-year-old mosque caretaker, who verified that the van was handed over to the complainant in order to be fixed.
"We have opened a criminal intimidation investigation under Section 506 of the Penal Code.
"We are also investigating the viral video under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for misuse of networking facilities," he said, adding that the video could cause public anxiety .
"Stern action will be taken against anyone who tries to spread fake news or information in accordance with the available laws," he said.