Unknown person booked for spreading rumour on COVID-19 spread

NT NETWORK

Mapusa

Acting on a complaint filed by Devendra Deshprabhu, brother of former Pernem MLA late Jitendra Deshprabhu, regarding the spread of a fake message that he is suffering from COVID-19, the Pernem police on Wednesday registered an offence and booked an unknown person for spreading rumour to create fear among public.

According to the police, Devendra Deshprabhu has lodged a complaint stating that a fake WhatsApp message, dated May 12, is being circulated stating that the complainant is suffering from COVID-19 and admitted in the Goa Medical College and Hospital.

The complainant has further stated in his complaint that the fake message mentions that Pernem is a coronavirus hotspot and must be sealed.

Police said that the culprit has deceptively used a picture of a news item that appeared in a Marathi daily to create the fake message. The complaint states that some persons have widely disseminated fake news through the spread of false information. The complainant has stated that his family is safe and comfortable at home.

Deshprabhu has said in his complaint that “some person/s created the fake news message by taking a picture of a news item in a (Marathi) daily and typing two paragraphs in English.” The complaint states that the message has been so designed to mislead the recipients of that message into believing that the text is typed under the picture.

Referring to his brother, Deshprabhu said, “We lost my brother Jitendra R Deshprabhu on 21.04.2020. Certain false information was spread in the print/online media stating that my brother had driven to Mumbai during the previous week to bring his daughter and that his death was due to COVID-19. Such false information had a similar impact, inciting panic in Pernem.”

He said, “Health Minister tried to address it by issuing a statement that the results of two PCR swab tests for the COVID-19 virus conducted on my brother by two independent specialty laboratories were negative.”  

Deshprabhu further stated, “I also take this opportunity to place on record that my brother did not drive/travel to Mumbai the week before he died. The last time he travelled to/through Mumbai was in early February when things were absolutely normal in Mumbai/India.”

Copies of the complaint have been forwarded to the Chief Minister, the Health Minister, North Goa Collector and the Inspector General of Police for necessary action.

Acting on the complaint, Pernem police have registered offence under Sections 188, 505(1) (b) of the Indian penal code against unknown person. Under the supervision of police inspector Sandesh Chodankar, police sub-inspector Sanjit Kandolkar is further investigating into the case.