Three persons were arrested and fourth person was booked by Telangana police for spreading fake news about coronavirus on social media and creating panic among public. The accused were arrested in Yadadri Bhongir district. “The trio in the age group of 20-25 created fake message that one person died of coronavirus and circulated the false news in a whatsapp group,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Bhongir Division) N Bhujanga Rao said.
The accused downloaded a picture of a patient lying in Gandhi Hospital. Later they edited and circulated on social media claiming that the person died of coronavirus. On the other side, Rachakonda police on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Monday booked an unidentified person for allegedly spreading rumours about coronavirus. The man shared a message on WhatsApp claiming that three persons from the area tested positive for Covid-19. As the message went viral and triggered panic, police launched an inquiry and found that it was false information.
A case against the accused was registered under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Act at Chaitanyapuri police station. Police were trying to track the accused and arrest him. Police have warned that those spreading false news and rumours on coronavirus may be jailed up to one year. According to police, those who are spreading false information on social media and creating panic on coronavirus were liable for one year imprisonment under NDMA Act. At a review meeting with top officials on Monday, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar warned that stringent action would be taken against those spreading false news.
