Coronavirus scare: Probe initiated against 'fake' WhatsApp

A probe has been initiated against a "fake" WhatsApp post which claimed that a coronavirus-infected person was detected in the state, police said on Tuesday. The message also said that the person has been placed in quarantine at a hospital here.

C Lalruaia, the superintendent of police in Aizawl, told PTI that "a suo-motu FIR was lodged against the fake post" on Tuesday. "The WhatsApp post is a complete lie as no case of coronavirus has been detected in the state," he said.

According to the SP, a person can be booked under various sections of the IT Act and the IPC for posting and circulating fake news on messaging apps and social media. "A probe has been launched to find out who is responsible for spreading the fake news," he added.

Mizoram has sealed its borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar in view of the coronavirus scare. The state government has set up a quarantine camp at a tourist lodge in Lengpui near Aizawl to isolate suspected people who have entered the state by air. It has also readied isolation wards in Zoram Medical College near here, district hospitals and community health centres.

The Mizoram health department on Monday said at least 67 people have been put under home isolation as a precautionary measure although they did not show any symptom of coronavirus. The state government has also instructed all commercial vehicles plying within and outside the state to maintain records of passengers.