Pandavapura:  Close on the heels of Chamarajanagar Police arresting two persons and sending them to jail for spreading false messages that a boy from Gundlupet and a girl from Nanjangud had tested positive for Coronavirus, Pandavapura Police have arrested a college student for spreading a false message that his classmate has Coronavirus and have released him on Station Bail.

The student, who was arrested and released by the Police, is B.P. Dileep, a resident of Bevinakuppe village.

Dileep had allegedly uploaded the false message in the form of news being telecast on a TV channel on a social media platform that a student of the college had contracted Coronavirus by editing the photo.

Taluk Health Officer (THO) Dr. Aravind, who saw the false news at about 3 pm yesterday, went to the college and enquired the student, whose photo was uploaded along with the message that the student had contracted Coronavirus. The student who told the THO that he was hale and healthy, said that his friend had uploaded his photo with the false news about him being contracted with Coronavirus and added that after he scolded his friend, he had deleted the post. 

Based on the complaint by the THO, Pandavapura Police Inspector Ravindra, who had registered a case, arrested Dileep and released him on Station Bail, said Mandya District Superintendent of Police Parashuram.

Continuing, the SP said that Dileep, using a mobile app, had edited the photo and had created a post making it look like a news channel telecasting the news that the student had contracted Coronavirus and had uploaded the same as his (Dileep) WhatsApp status and deleted the post only after the student called him over the phone and scolded him. 

He further said that a case under IPC Section 469, 501(1)(B) has been registered against the student who has been released and added that no case has been confirmed for Coronavirus in Mandya district.

The SP has urged the public not to panic as it was a false news.