Talcher: Police Wednesday arrested a man on charges of spreading rumours about the spread of coronavirus here in Angul district using an old picture on social media.
The accused has been identified as Abhinash Samantaray (30), a resident of Hakimpara under Colliery police limits.
Sources said, the youth had allegedly posted fake news using an old picture regarding the congregation of devotees at the annual pilgrimage of ‘Maa Hingula’. However, the report turned out to be false following which Muralidhar Sahu, a member of the Maa Hingula Trust Board, lodged a complaint with the Colliery Police, prompting the cops to take stringent action against the man.
Police also confiscated a smartphone from him. In this regard, a case 103/20 was registered, IIC Sabyasachi Rout said.
It may be mentioned here that the Odisha government has prepared and issued ‘Odisha COVID-19 guidelines’ on basis of sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 which makes the act of spreading rumours a punishable offence under the law.
PNN