A well-known journalist was arrested in the Andaman andNicobar Islands over a tweet where he questioned the rationale of theauthorities allegedly asking people to be home-quarantined after they hadspoken to COVID-19 patients by phone, police said on Wednesday.
The charges under which Zubair Ahmed has been booked includeone about circulating “rumour”.
Zubair Ahmed, the editor of ‘Light of Andaman, a popularweekly newspaper which is now published online, was summoned to the Bambooflatpolice station in South Andaman district on April 27 for questioning over histweet and then arrested, police said on Tuesday.
He was then taken to the Aberdeen police station where hespent the night in a lockup, it said.
“Can someone explain why families are placed under homequarantine for speaking over phone with Covid patients?” he tweeted onMonday, tagging the local administration.
In another tweet a day earlier, he said: “Request#Covid19 quarantined persons not to call any acquaintance over phone. Peopleare being traced and quarantined on the basis of phone calls.”
Ahmed was produced before a court on Tuesday afternoon whichgranted him bail.
He has been charged under IPC sections 188 (disobedience toorder duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spreadinfection of disease dangerous to life) and 505 (1) that relates to publishingor circulating any statement, rumour or report, police said.
Besides, sections 51 and 54 of the Disaster Management Act,2005 were also slapped. While Section 51 deals with punishment for obstruction,Section 54 pertains to punishment for false warning.
Andaman and Nicobar Media Federation President K Ganesancondemned the arrest.
The Bambooflat area has reported the highest number ofCOVID-19 cases in the Union Territory and is a hotspot. Over 20 people fromthere have tested positive for the coronavirus infection.