The Meghalaya Police have detected two fake news on COVID19 circulated through the social media in the state and urged the people to refrain from sharing such news.
Informing this, the Meghalaya Police on its Twitter handle on Sunday stated: “It is hereby informed that these rumours are FAKE & general public is requested to kindly refrain from circulating Fake News, otherwise stringent action under relevant provision of law will be taken against those who share these messages.”
The Meghalaya Police said “in the wake of the outbreak of the COVID-19 throughout the world”, they have detected two “fake news regarding the coronavirus” which have been circulated through “various social media platforms”.
“Some avid users of social media sites have been spreading and sharing these rumours without verifying the same,” the Meghalaya Police said.
What are the rumours?
One of the rumours that are being circulated is “Confirmed reports are suggesting that the virus may have entered our state and it will start showing itself in this coming week. Some patients in Nongpoh have started exhibiting all the Covid19 symptoms.”
The other rumour is that an individual who “stayed in Bangalore with one person who was tested positive for COVID-19 and that the person has returned to Tura but the whereabouts are not known, police are searching for the individual.”
“It is hereby informed that both the messages are fake and the general public is requested to kindly refrain from circulating or sharing the above messages, otherwise stringent action under relevant provision of law will be taken against those who share these messages,” said assistant inspector general of police (A), Meghalaya.
The top Meghalaya Police official also appealed to all that “if any information or message is being circulated through social media”, they should “verify first with the official social media account of Meghalaya Police”.
The Meghalaya Police have requested the citizen not to “share any rumours or fake news as it will create unnecessary disorder or panic in the state”.
#FAKENEWS ALERT
It is hereby informed that these rumours are FAKE & general public is requested to kindly refrain from circulating Fake News, otherwise stringent action under relevant provision of law will be taken against those who share these messages.
Don’t be a #COVIDIOT. pic.twitter.com/GOps9t62sk
— Meghalaya Police (@MeghalayaPolice) March 29, 2020