Cops book case against Tamil Nadu man for spreading rumours about coronavirus on WhatsApp

Last week, four people were arrested in Chennai and Tiruvallur for allegedly spreading rumours about the coronavirus on social networking sites.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

CHENNAI: Tiruvallur police have booked a case against a village panchayat president's husband for allegedly spreading rumors about the coronavirus through WhatsApp at Gummidipoondi on Thursday.

Police said Gowri Shankar, the husband of Padmaja who is the village panchayat president of Melakazhani village near Gummidipoondi, allegedly posted a video in which he claimed that residents of Kottakarai in the same locality had witnessed coronavirus symptoms.

Based on the complaint filed by a resident Ibrahim Sha, 40, the police registered a case under IPC Section 505 (i) (b), Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act.

Last week, four people were arrested in Chennai and Tiruvallur for allegedly spreading rumours about the coronavirus on social networking sites. The arrested have been identified as S Abdul Rahman, 30, and M Saminathan, 33, both residents of Tiruttani, Benjamin, 33, of Mangadu, and Sivakumar, 37, from Kattupakkam employed at a private firm at Poonamallee.

Meanwhile, as many as 54,817 people have been arrested across the state for allegedly violating Section 144 in the last eleven days from March 24 to April 3 up to 10 am.

According to a release from the state police, 55,427 violations of the lockdown orders were reported, 40,903 vehicles have been seized and a total of Rs 17,02,444 lakh has been imposed as fine.

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