Pune: The Pune City Police has appealed people not to believe fake message circulating on WhatsApp stating “there will be a military lockdown in Mumbai and Pune for 10 days from Saturday. Save everything. Uddhav Thackeray is losing control”. Police have also warned to take strict action against the perpetrators. Pune-based Southern Command of the Army has also refuted the message.

Commissioner of Police Dr K Venkatesham said that the message is false and people should not believe it and panic. Sambhaji Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber and Economic Offences Wing, has warned that the sender of the message will be traced assured strict action against the sender. A senior officer from Southern Command also confirmed that the WhatsApp message is fake.

According to police, spreading false and inaccurate messages, videos and text on social media in the wake of the COVID pandemic is a crime under cyber law and punishable by imprisonment. In Maharashtra, about 200 people have been arrested and 400 booked for spreading false information in the last two months.

The fake message in circulation on WhatsApp states, “There will be a military lockdown in Mumbai and Pune for 10 days from Saturday. Save everything. Uddhav Thackeray is releasing control. The city will be handed over to the army. However, please save everything. Only milk and medicine will be available. A meeting of the Maharashtra government is underway.”