Mysuru: In three separate incidents, Police have booked cases against four people for allegedly creating fake news and making them viral on social media, spreading fear over COVID-19.
The fake news stated that a girl in Nanjangud in Mysuru district and a boy from a village in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajnagar, a boy from a village at Pandavapura in Mandya district, a man from T Narsipur taluk in Mysuru district had been infected with Covid-19.
However, all these cases turned out to be false and were created by mischief mongers to create panic among people.
According to police, a spurned lover had allegedly created a fake social media post in which he had created a photo of breaking news being telecast in an electronic media channel, which said, that a girl from Nanjangud was infected with Covid-19. He had allegedly done that to take revenge on the girl who had reportedly rejected his love proposal, Chamarajangar police said.
According to police Mahendra (name changed), a student from Nanjangud taluk had created a similar post in which he had stated that a boy from a village at Gundlupet taluk was infected with Covid-19. And he had made those posts viral along with another student Rakesh (name changed) from a village in Chamrajnagar district. Based on a complaint from Chamarajnagar district health officer, Chamarajnagar town police registered a case under section 505 (B), 34 IPC and column 66c of IT act against Mahendra and Rakesh. The dup was arrested on Friday night and were produced before the magistrate after which they were been sent to judicial custody.
In yet another incident, a 20 year old boy Sandeep (name changed) from a village in Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district, had reportedly edited a photo of 21 year old Nagarjun (name changed) from the same village with the help of a mobile app. And he had reportedly created a photo of breaking news being broadcast on TV that Nagarjun wa affected with Covid-19 and put it as his whatsapp status. Based on a statement from Nagarjun and a complaint from Pandavapura taluk health officer, the Pandavapura Police registered a case under column 469-505 (1) (B) on Saturday evening. They also arrested Sandeep and seized his mobile, according to Mandya district police.
On Sunday morning, based on a complaint from Mysuru district health officer, he police registered a case and arrested another person for posting fake news on social media that a man from T Narsipur was infected with Covid-19, according to Mysuru DC Mr Abhiram G Shankar.
