Coronavirus Update: At a time where the world, collectively, combating the spread of COVID-19 and misinformation surrounding it, a case was registered against the owner of a furniture shop on Wednesday at Bhiwandi, Thane district, Maharashtra for issuing an advertisement which claimed that the mattresses he was selling at the shop are “anti-Coronavirus”.
The accused, owns 2 furniture showrooms in the Bhiwandi area, however, the Police did not disclose his name.
On the 13th March 2020, the owner published an advertisement in a Gujrati newspaper that the novel Coronavirus, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the 11th March can be cured or prevented by sleeping a special kind of mattress which he sold.
Rajkumar Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) said that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered after a medical officer of Kharbhav Primary Health Centre filed a complaint against him. The owner has been booked under IPC (Indian Penal Code) Section 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and also under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
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DCP Shinde said that when the Police questioned the shop owner, he was unable to produce any proof to support his claims that he made in the advertisement.
He added that as of now no arrest has been made as the investigation is still in progress.
DCP Shinde warned that police will take action against anyone who will spread misinformation about the COVID-19 in TV, Print, or any other media.
