Act against coronavirus rumour mongers: BMC chief to cops

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief Praveen Pardeshi on Saturday wrote to city police commissioner Param Bir Singh demanding strict action against those spreading rumors about the novel coronavirus outbreak. In the letter, Pardeshi said BMC had made preparations to tackle the situation but rumors were being spread on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, etc, which may lead to panic.

The BMC chief demanded action against such people under Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act 2005. Section 54 lays down that "whoever makes or circulates a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic, shall on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine".

In a tweet, police commissioner Singh said, "Dear Mumbaikars- let's stay calm & do the basics right. Maintain personal, office & home hygiene, avoid large gatherings & unnecessary travel. Keep fake news far & a doctor close. Be vigilant, don't panic - and I am sure, we will overcome this adversity soon #CoronaVirus".