Mumbai Police Commissioner takes on fake message, requests to #StaySafeFromRumours
“Namaste, I’m the Commissioner of @MumbaiPolice & this list has definitely not been made on my directions!” Param Bir Singh, Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police, says in his tweet.
If you’re in Mumbai and received a message on the dates and timings stipulated for the distribution of newspapers, milk and other groceries, beware - that message is fake. Param Bir Singh, Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police, has taken on such fake messages in a tweet posted earlier today and requested citizens not to share such messages regarding emergency services without verifying first.
“Namaste, I’m the Commissioner of @MumbaiPolice & this list has definitely not been made on my directions!” he says in his tweet. The post shows an image which states that milk, groceries and medicines at medical shops will be distributed according to this time table. “By order of Mumbai Police Commissioner,” the image says in the end.
“The last thing we want to get infected with & pass on during such crisis is rumours,” Singh says on Twitter. “Pls verify every msg regarding emergency services before you forward,” he adds using the hashtag #StaySafeFromRumours.
The tweet has received over 5,200 likes and more than 2,100 retweets within four hours of being shared. Many have thanked Singh for clarifying on the message.
“Thank you for your clarification sir. It’s really important to get to the source of such fake news which creates a panic situation for the common man,” says a Twitter user. “Thanks a lot for the clarification. Such messages create unnecessary panic. People spreading false messages in such critical times should be punished,” says another.
“Thanks for clarifying. But where and how can we verify whether it’s fake or real?” one Twitter user asks.
Mumbai Police promptly replied to the tweet, saying:
Press Information Bureau’s fact checking Twitter handle is also taking on such fake messages circulating online. The handle took to the micro-blogging site to debunk a claim that the sound created when people clapped, rang bells and blew conch shells on March 22, has reduced the risk of coronavirus. The tweet asks people not to get misled by such false messages.