A viral message claiming 52 WhatsApp group admins were detained by Mumbai Police's cyber crime cell in Dadar for allowing misleading messages about Coronavirus on their groups, is false.
BOOM spoke to Mumbai Police Spokesperson, DCP Pranay Ashok who rubbished the message that claimed that cases were registered against 52 group admins.
The WhatsApp forward reads, "52 group admins are now at Dadar cyber crime police station. For having misleading fowards in the group. A case is being registered against every admin. U will get bail at police station but have to fight in criminal court with a jail term from 1 to 5 years..."
The second half of the viral message claims the Ministry of Home Affairs announced sharing any posts related to Coronavirus on social media is a punishable offense.
This claim has already been debunked by BOOM. (See the link below)
Also Read: No, Home Ministry Has Not Made Sharing Coronavirus Messages A Punishable Offence
BOOM received the forward on its WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111) from multiple readers asking us if the message was true.
Viral on Facebook
On searching with the same misleading caption, we found that the post was being shared with the false claims made in the post.
FACT-CHECK
BOOM contacted Mumbai Police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pranay Ashok who rubbished the claim that Mumbai police's cyber cell was registering cases against 52 WhatsApp group admins. "This is untrue," DCP Ashok told BOOM.
We also contacted Dadar Police who also confirmed that 52 group admins were not called to the police station for questioning and the message doing the rounds was unfounded.
The second half of the viral message combines another hoax message, that claims posting anything related to Coronavirus on social media has been declared a punishable offence by the government. BOOM debunked that hoax forward on March 30, 2020. The forward falsely attributes the order to a nonexistent official named Ravi Nayak at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
BOOM also found out that MHA's website also does not have any official by the name Ravi Nayak, nor does it include the designation of principal secretary, as claimed in the message. (See screenshots below)
BOOM has previously fact-checked fake forwards circulating on social media relating to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Also Read: False: Army Called In To Control Seven Areas In Mumbai
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