Coimbatore man held for posting Covid-19 rumour on Whatsapp

TNN | Mar 21, 2020, 04.17 AM IST

COIMBATORE: A 43-year-old self-proclaimed medical practitioner was arrested on Friday for spreading rumours on Covid-19 on YouTube and WhatsApp.

S Baskar alias ‘Healer’ Baskar, of Arivozhi Nagar in Kovaipudur Selvapuram, was held based on a complaint lodged by Dr G Rameshkumar, deputy director, public health department, Coimbatore.

In his complaint to the Kuniyamuthur police on Wednesday, Rameshkumar said ‘Healer’ Baskar was circulating an audio message on WhatsApp and a video on YouTube stating Covid-19 outbreak was a depopulation measure ordered by the “Illuminati” across the globe.

“All the people, who are being isolated, will be eliminated later on. This is the World War-III and allopathy doctors are responsible for this war,” Baskar said in his social media message. The self-proclaimed medical practitioner also said he was in a position to speak about coronavirus and that he has been talking about the same for the past 10 years.

Rameshkumar said ‘Healer’ Baskar was instilling fear among the people of Tamil Nadu and requested the Kuniyamuthur police to take action against him. Subsequently, ‘Healer’ Baskar was booked under Sections 153(A), 504 and 505(i) (b) of the Indian Penal Code.

On Friday, the Kuniyamuthur police arrested ‘Healer’ Baskar and produced him before the judicial magistrate court-VII, which remanded him in judicial custody till April 3. Later, he was lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that a BE (civil) holder, ‘Healer’ Baskar had studied acupuncture course for two years and set up a centre named Anatomic Therapy Foundation at Kovaipudur. He was arrested in August 2018 for promoting childbirth at home and conducting a class on the same for women. It is to be noted that home births are banned in the state.