Ludhiana police on Tuesday booked an anchor of a US-based web channel for allegedly spreading rumours about people being admitted to hospitals as Covid-19 patients and being killed for their organs.
It was alleged that the anchor had uploaded a video on his web channel, Fastway TV USA, of accredited social health activists (ASHAs) being asked to get people admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 treatment and getting paid ₹50,000 per patient.
An FIR against the unidentified news anchor has been registered at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) police station.
PAU station house officer (SHO) Paramdeep Singh said the police received the video, where the anchor was claiming that health activists in a village of Punjab were forcibly taking villagers to hospitals for ₹50,000 each patient.
“He (anchor) also claimed that the ASHAs were doing this without verifying if the person had symptoms associated with Covid-19 or not. The anchor also said that in hospitals, staff killed patients for their organs,” the SHO added.
He said the accused had tried to create panic among people by spreading rumours.
{{/usCountry}}He said the accused had tried to create panic among people by spreading rumours.
{{/usCountry}}A case has been registered under sections 505 (statements conducting public mischief) and 188 (disobedience to the orders duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act.