FIR against youth for demanding O2 ‘without need’

SHASHANK YADAV POSTED THE TWEET WITHOUT ANY REASON AND CAUSED PANIC IN THESE TROUBLED TIMES, SAID POLICE

LUCKNOW: Police lodged an FIR against a 27-year-old man from Amethi for a tweet requesting an oxygen cylinder “without any need”, police officials said.

The tweet was posted on Monday and the FIR lodged on Tuesday.

Shashank Yadav reportedly posted on Twitter that he needed an oxygen cylinder for his maternal grandfather and tagged actor Sonu Sood in the tweet. Minutes after his tweet, MP from Amethi Smriti Irani reached out to Yadav but his phone was found ‘switched off’. The MP directed the district magistrate and chief medical officer (CMO) of the district to get help for the man.

The DM and other officials then tried to reach out to Yadav.

The superintendent for police of Amethi Santosh Singh said, “As Shashank Yadav’s phone was found switched off, so we used mobile surveillance to determine his last location and then managed to reach his home. A police team reached his home at around 2am and found him sleeping in his room.”

When police asked Yadav about the need for oxygen, he informed them that “an 88-year-old relation of his was not well.

He was not even tested Covid-19 positive, nor the doctors suggested any need for an oxygen cylinder.”

“Shashank Yadav posted the tweet without any reason and caused panic in these troubled times. For this he was booked under IPC sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 505 (1)(b) (makes a statement or rumour or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity) at the Ramganj police station,” said the SP. The police also invoked the Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act against Yadav.

According to the SP, Yadav was not arrested but was released with a warning.

Amidst rising Covid-19 number chief minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the state police last week to take action against people who are spreading rumours on social media platforms regarding the shortage of oxygen and Covid-19 drugs in the state.