DHEMAJI, March 29 - Amidst the coronavirus threat, unscrupulous elements are circulating fake news, which has created panic among the people of Dhemaji district.
Many villages have been separately locked down from March 25 as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. The villagers have confined themselves at home to get rid of the dreaded coronavirus. But, it has been alleged that an unscrupulous section, accustomed to circulating fake news on social media, is creating panic and making the situation more miserable.
Unscrupulous elements are spreading false information that a herd of wild elephants was roaming around in the rural areas of Dhemaji, Gogamukh, Bordoloni, Silapthar and Jonai circles under Dhemaji district, which has frightened the people and compelled them to pass sleepless nights.
Another rumour said wild jumbos entered rural areas and killed two villagers at Telam under Jonai circle on Friday night. But officials of Dhemaji forest division have dismissed these reports of elephant movement and asked people not to panic.
Earlier too, unscrupulous elements circulated a message on social media, asking rural women to light lamps throughout the night, seeking Goddess Kamakhya�s blessings to save themselves from coronavirus.
Dhemaji district police issued a clarification and asked people not to believe in such news. �The forest officials are on duty in close coordination with district police. There is no report of elephant attack or damage caused in the district in the last two days,� the clarification said. Police also warned of legal action against people involved in spreading such fake news. Police has set up a control room with the phone numbers � 9859916060 (call) and 8876444415 (WhatsApp) � for any help.
