A WhatsApp message with dangerous claims that the situation in the Taltola area in Central Kolkata is grave is doing rounds. The message says People are scared in the area as about 25 to 30 people have died in their homes.
Further, the message reads that the Deputy Commissioner Central, Officer Incharge of Taltala Thana, and other Police personals are instructed not to go in that particular area as Police fraternity are afraid of the Pandemic COVID19 that has been spreading in the area.
People are dying at their homes because of cough and fever in the area and the situation is dangerous. Kolkata and Howrah are turning out to be the grave city followed by a list of names their address and phone numbers as the victims of COVID19.
We at News Sense received the information from various sources with the request to find out the truth. We read the message and tried to contact from the list of deceased, most of the numbers were not reachable or switched off, but we got hold of Zahir Abbas, Son of Sabir Hossain.
Zahir spoke to News Sense at length and clarified that his father didn’t die of COVID19 he said, “My father Sabir Hussain was suffering from lung cancer he was on the second stage of lung cancer I have all prescription and reports of his treatment. My father did not die of coronavirus but I’ve been getting calls from the different people asking me if my father had died of Coronavirus I would be very grateful if you guys would get to the bottom of this who spreading this news I mean fake news I’ll be really grateful to you and thank you so much“. He also said the address given is also not right.
We also spoke to Deputy Commissioner (Central) Mr. Sudheer Kumar Neelkantham, IPS, who said, “First and foremost the message says DC Central and OC and other Police Personnel were asked not to enter the Taltala Police Station area. This is absolutely false, baseless and mal intended. Moreover, there is no such area as mentioned under Taltala Police Station. There is no such thing at all.”
Further, the DC Central also clarified that “We are very much active in that area and doing everyday area domination and have placed pickets and taking steps for lockdown and social distancing. we are also doing awareness programs through motorcycle Patrolling, miking, and pamphlet distribution. We also do regular food and mask distribution in the area“.
We thus explored all possible angle and thus with our investigation, we can say, that the misleading texts that have been doing rounds on WhatsApp is not real.
Claim: 25 to 30 people have died in their homes in Taltala Area
Conclusion: No, People are not dying in the purported area.
NB: Don’t share or forward any misleading information on your social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, by doing so you are also becoming someone, who is creating panic and confusion among the larger mass and this is a punishable offense.
