The Kadapa police on Saturday registered a case against three engineering college students for allegedly endangering another student by spreading fake news that the latter had been infected with coronavirus. Police charged the students under Section 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
The miscreants were also suspended from their college and hostel by the principal.
Police said that the offenders — Ganesh, Ram and Varun — all studying third-year mechanical engineering in Global College of Engineering and Technology, had created a fake breaking news image in the format typically used by TV news channels, which read: “Tension in Global Engineering College in Kadapa. A student identified as Shravan has been tested positive with coronavirus.” Shravan is the roommate of one of the offenders.
After creating the fake image, they shared it amongst their college friends on WhatsApp for “fun.” These same students had also shared another fake message claiming that another student in Loyola College had also contracted the disease. But the messages were soon forwarded to several groups, creating panic among students. The hoax messages eventually came to the notice of the college management, and the college suspended the offenders from the college and hostel on Friday.
Shravan was also initially suspended, but pleaded innocence and was let off.
The principal then approached the Chennur police and reported the incident. “The mischief had threatened the staff, students and parents, so we approached the police besides suspending them,” principal told the media.
After taking the complaint, Chennur police booked the three students. “A case has been registered. However, as it is not a cognizable offence, we have to approach the court before taking any further action,” Chennur Sub-Inspector told TNM.
In the wake of the outbreak of the disease, misinformation has been rampant. Police have repeatedly warned against sharing unverified reports as it would create unnecessary panic and fear amongst the people.
After a patient from Hyderabad tested positive, details and photos of the man were shared widely on Whatsapp in a breach of privacy. The Telangana police has warned of strict action against miscreants who create panic.