MBA, engineer and a financial consultant arrested in Nagpur for spreading coronavirus rumours on social media

The state cyber police along with Nagpur police had arrested three Nagpur residents— Monu Omprakash Gupta, an MBA professional; Divyanshu Rampal Mishra, an engineer;

The state cyber police along with Nagpur police had arrested three Nagpur residents— Monu Omprakash Gupta, an MBA professional; Divyanshu Rampal Mishra, an engineer; and financial consultant Amol Shivpal Pardhi — on Friday for allegedly spreading rumours on social media

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and creating panic among citizens over the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown.

The police had also registered nine first information reports (FIRs) against those involved in spreading fake messages, misinformation and rumours.

“So far, more than 10 FIRs have been registered across the state against those spreading rumors about the outbreak and against those trying to take advantage of the situation for financial gains by spreading false information. The cyber police have also pulled down 15 fake websites,” deputy inspector general (cyber) Harish Baijal said.

Gupta and Pardhi had made a 4.52-minute audio clip in which they had claimed that more than 200 people in Nagpur were infected with coronavirus, including a doctor, who is in a critical state and is on the ventilator after being tested positive. Pardhi forwarded the clip to Mishra, who is his family friend. Mishra’s wife later forwarded the clip to her friend, after which it went viral.

The clip also stated that the labs and medical staff in the city were not equipped to deal with the situation, creating panic among those who received it.

After the cyber police discovered the incident, the three were arrested with the help of Sadar police in Nagpur and have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Disaster Management Act.

The police have not booked Mishra’s wife yet.

Baijal said, “Citizens should not believe everything they receive on phones and must refrain from forwarding it to others.”