Maharashtra govt orders action against 2 scribes for 'false' news reports on Jitendra Awhad's daughter testing positive for COVID-19

Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said action has been ordered against a reporter and an anchor of a news channel for allegedly running a “false” story that state minister Jitendra Awhad’s daughter tested coronavirus positive at the time of return from Spain. Deshmukh did not name the news channel concerned. In a series of tweets, Deshmukh said the code of conduct of not revealing the name of any coronavirus-infected patient was violated in the process. There are rules in the law regarding not revealing the names of girls, he said, adding that what the channel did “deliberately and irresponsibly was quite serious”. It is wrong to broadcast “false and terrorising” news at a time when an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the country due to the spread of coronavirus, Deshmukh said.

कायद्यानुसार सुध्दा मुलींचं नाव जाहीर न करण्याचे नियम आहेत. गैर जबाबदारपणे बेछूट हेतूपुरस्सर या वृत्तवाहिनीने जे केलं ते अत्यंत गंभीर आहे.
देशाभरात कोरोना संसर्ग व प्रादुर्भावामुळे भीतीचं वातावरण असताना घब्राट पसरवणाऱ्या खोट्या बातम्या दाखवणं खूपच चुकीचं आहे.

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 15, 2020

“Hence, the order has been issued to take action against the reporter and anchor of the news as per rules,” Deshmukh tweeted late Wednesday night. A police official with whom Housing Minister Awhad interacted recently tested positive for coronavirus. Hence, as a precaution, the minister has quarantined himself. On Wednesday, Awhad said his test report has come out negative and he is fit and fine.