Maha: Case filed for fake Whatsapp message on Covid-19 patient

A case was registered on Tuesday against an unidentified person for spreading fake news through Whatsapp about finding a novel coronavirus patient in Pathri village in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, an official said. The case has been registered under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 and section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, said Gajendra Balpande, tehsildar of Tumsar.

The tehsildar said a police complaint was lodged after he received a WhatsApp message on his cellphone with an edited screenshot of a television channel news item that falsely claimed a Covid-9 patient had been found in Pathri village in Tumsar tehsil. Gobarwahi police are taking help of the cyber cell to track down the accused, an official said.