the goan I network
PERNEM
Pernem police on Wednesday registered a case against an unknown person in connection with a fake WhatsApp message which has gone viral on social media, alleging that the brother of former Pernem MLA late Jitendra Deshprabhu is suffering from COVID-19 and admitted in the GMC hospital.
In a police complaint to the Pernem police inspector, Devendra Deshprabhu said the fake WhatsApp message, which also claimed that Pernem is a corona hotspot, had deceptively used a picture of a news item from a Marathi newspaper, inciting widespread fear, panic and threat among the public.
“Some person/s created and widely disseminated fake news through WhatsApp on Tuesday, stating, among other things that I am suffering from COVID-19 and admitted in the Goa Medical College, and that, Pernem is now a coronavirus hotspot and must be sealed, while there should be a check on people travelling from Pernem.”
“Some person/s created the fake news message by taking a picture of a news item from a Marathi newspaper and by typing two paragraphs in English under it. The message has been designed to mislead recipients of that message into believing that the text typed under the picture is an English translation of the news report...it is designed to mislead people into believing that the entire message is genuine news,” said Deshprabhu.
“These statements in the WhatsApp message are false. My family, including my brother’s wife and children and I are safe and comfortable at home. The perpetrator/s also have caused irreparable distress to my family, friends, well-wishers and I.”
He also mentioned that after his brother, Jitendra, had passed away on April 21, false information was spread in the print/online media stating that his brother had driven to Mumbai during the previous week to bring his daughter and that, his death was due to COVID-19.
“Such false information had a similar impact, inciting panic in Pernem, and the health minister tried to address it by issuing a statement that the results of two PCR swab tests for the COVID-19 virus conducted on my brother by two independent speciality laboratories were negative.”
“I also take this opportunity to place on record that my brother did not drive/travel to Mumbai the week before he died; the last time he travelled to/through Mumbai was in early February when things were absolutely normal in Mumbai/India.”
He stated that the fake WhatsApp message being circulated since Tuesday had deceitfully created fear and panic in Pernem, and attempted to erode the faith of the people in the government and its health and law enforcement machinery. “It also endangers the efforts of the Government to protect our people and restart our economy,” said Deshprabhu.
He has requested the Pernem police inspector to investigate and take strict action against the perpetrator/s of the fake WhatsApp message.
Acting on the complaint, Pernem police registered a case against an unknown person under Sections 188, 505 (1)(b) IPC and is investigating the case.
Copies of Deshprabhu’s complaint have been forwarded to the chief minister, health minister, North Goa collector and the Inspector General of Police.
