Spreading rumours about Coronavirus could land you in jail 

Chamarajanagar / Mysuru: People who circulate rumours or fake news on social media platforms sparking Coronavirus panic among the public may face jail terms.

In the first action of its kind in Karnataka in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak, two youth have been arrested for pulling a prank on their friends by posting online that their friends — a man from Gundlupet and a woman from Nanjangud — were infected with Coronavirus. 

The arrested have been identified as Nagendra alias Nagesh, a resident of Neelakantanagar in Nanjangud and Lokesh of Kavudavade village in Chamarajanagar taluk.

The Police questioned the duo for spreading rumours on WhatsApp days after the Government made it clear that spreading misinformation would attract strict legal action.

After they were formally arrested, they were produced before a Court yesterday that has sent them to judicial custody. 

Nagesh allegedly posted an image of his friends on WhatsApp with a caption that both have tested positive for COVID-19. He morphed images of a Kannada channel to place his friends’ photos and named them and their villages. Not only this, the youths also shared the photos on the Instagram pages of their friends who were targeted. 

After posts went viral, one Mahadevaswamy approached the Police seeking action against the rumour-mongers. Police traced the message to Nagesh who told the Police that it was Lokesh who had morphed the photos and shared with him on WhatsApp. Both were booked for spreading panic.

Government warning

Meanwhile, the State Government has warned against undermining public order by circulating unknown source news and rumours about Coronavirus that could cause panic. Those found to be circulating fake news and rumours will be held accountable.

According to the cybercrime law, producing and posting rumours on online platforms is a crime punishable. The warning comes in the wake of the spread of Coronavirus-related fake news on social media platforms.

The Government called on all members of the public to seek news and information from reliable and official sources and urged them to trust only the information shared by official sources and be aware of rumours and misinformation. 

Mysuru DC clarifies

Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar has clarified that the administration has not released any list of suspected cases in Mysuru. “There is some forward message doing the rounds with a list of names. I repeat the district administration has not published or shared any such list. Please confirm with me before taking any info as true. Verify with the district administration and then only publish. We should act in a manner that will instil confidence in people,” the DC said.