CHENNAI: Chennai city police have registered a case against a yet to be identified woman who spread messages and videos claiming that there are child kidnappers on the prowl in Medavakkam in Chennai sub urbs.

The video being spread through WhatsApp has gory contents showing children being maimed.

"A false video is being circulated in Whatsapp with the audio of a woman narrating that seven child trafficking incidents were reported at Medavakkam recently and asked the public to be alert and keep the children safe, " said an official statement from Chennai Police.

Police further added that the corpses of children shown in the video are from a different incident which happened in another place.

Cyber Crime wing of City Police have registered a case under sections of IPC and sections of the Information Technology (IT) act.

"Action is being taken to nab the concerned expeditiously. GCP also further strictly cautions such rumour-mongers to desist from spreading such fake videos/ messages and warns of severe and stringent legal action against them," the release further added.

Despite warnings from the Police, there have been incidents of guest workers and a transgender person being attacked by residents, mistaking them for child kidnappers because of such rumours.