Warangal: Police arrested two persons in different cases of spreading fake news on WhatsApp about outbreak of coronavirus in Warangal district.
In the first case, a message was floated on a WhatsApp account that coronavirus has surfaced in Kamalapur area of Warangal Urban district. Seeing this, Dr. Samyuktha, who is working with the Primary Health Centre at Kamalapur, lodged a complaint with police that it was fake news being circulated only to spread fear among locals.
Police, who took up investigation, identified Vadukari Rajesh of Pangidipally as the person who circulated the news. He was booked under sections 270, 504, 505(2) of the IPC and section 54 of the National Disaster Management Act.
The other case was booked against V. Rajendra Prasad, a resident of Oorugonda village, for spreading news that a pastor, who had returned from Kerala, had tested positive for Covid-19 and section 144 had been imposed in the village.
Pittala Srikanth, a health supervisor of Hanamkonda, lodged a complaint saying this was fake news that had been spread through mobile number 99497 83663 belonging to WhatsApp group named 'Oorugonda TRS Grama Kamiti'.
The message went viral creating fear within the village. Following this, Rajendra Prasad, who owned the number, was booked under sections 188 and 505 of the IPC and section 54 of NDMA.
