The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested a person named Mohammed Shaheed in Prayagraj on charges of spreading fake news and rumours on coronavirus through WhatsApp, reports ANI.
प्रयागराज: पुलिस ने व्हाट्सएप से कोरोना वायरस पर अफवाह फैलाने के आरोप में बहरिया से मोहम्मद साहिद को गिरफ्तार किया है। #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/7WAksU67z7
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) April 4, 2020
A statement issued by Prayagraj police said that Shaheed was spreading rumours on Coronavirus from his mobile number 9699273740. He has been booked under section 188/153 of the IPC, section 3 of the Epidemic Act 1897 and section 66A of the IT Act.
28 year old Md Shaheed is a resident of Fajlabad Urf Kaloopur in Prayagraj.
In a similar incident in Rampur, the admin of a WhatsApp group has been arrested by the police for spreading inflammatory videos on various WhatsApp groups. The accused Aftab alias Buffaur Rahman, a resident of the village, ran a WhatsApp group, in which he shared provocative fake messages. He has been arrested by the Rampur police.
Shockingly, it is alleged that hundreds of members including several Delhi MLAs and some white-collar members were part of the group. As soon as the video went viral, there was a scare in the city. The matter was soon reported to the Superintendent of Police Rampur.
Another accused Riyazuddin, who runs a private school in Mohalla Chak Swar, has also been arrested by the Rampur police for sharing fake news on Whatsapp to incite people during the nation-wide lockdown.
