Four arrested for spreading COVID-19 misinformation on social media

Four persons have been arrested in Odishas Keonjhar district for allegedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 on social media, police said on Monday.

The accused persons had allegedly taken a screenshot of a report telecast by a television channel on March 31 night and after editing it they circulated false information on social media about a coronavirus positive case being confirmed at a place in Keonjhar district, a police officer said.

As the false information went viral on social media, people in several areas of the district were in a state of panic and the concerned TV channel also lodged a complaint with Keonjhar Town Police Station, the officier said.

The police formed a special team and launched a hunt for the accused persons who were arrested on Sunday and booked under relevant provisions of the IT Act and Disaster Management Act, he said.