MUMBAI: Maharashtra Police's cyber cell has registered 36 first information reports (FIR) across the state against those spreading fake news about coronavirus on social media.
The FIRs were registered after several complaints were received from citizens, Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, Balsingh Rajput said.
Police said, of these 36 cases, 20 were registered for spreading fake news on WhatsApp, three for posting wrong information on Facebook, two for fake posts on Twitter and one against a Tik Tok user.
Besides, 10 cases have been registered against users of other platforms. The action was initiated after the State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh instructed the police and cyber cell to take strict action against rumour mongers and those circulating fake news on the virus.
Maharashtra Cyber SP Rajput said, five FIRs were registered by the cyber police in Beed and Satara each, four in Kolhapur, three each in Bhandara, Gondia and Nanded, two each in Pune rural, Ratnagiri and Solapur rural, and one each in Nagpur city, Akola, Chandrapur, Wardha, Solapur, Nashik rural and Sangli.
