One person has been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly spreading rumor on social media about a doctor testing positive for COVID 19.
According to sources in the Kolkata Police, the 29-year-old woman in her social media post claimed that the doctor who is treating COVID-19 patients at a government-run Beleghata Infectious Diseases hospital has tested positive for the infection.
“ She was arrested late on Friday night and has been booked under the IT Act,” a senior Kolkata Police official said.
Rubbishing the post-West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that it was “utterly baseless.”
“ I was informed by the Health Secretary that someone in a social media post claimed that a doctor treating COVID-19 patients has fallen ill. This is utterly baseless,” said Banerjee.
The development comes at a time when the Chief Minister has repeatedly warned against spreading rumors regarding the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier she had warned that strict legal action will be taken against those who resort to rumor-mongering and spreading fake news.
Banerjee had also cautioned the media not to flash any information regarding the pandemic without properly verifying it.
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