Overview
- A 19-year-old in Mumbra posted an Instagram video that falsely warned a lockdown would start at midnight and told people to stock up.
- The clip spread fast and residents rushed for food, medicines, fuel, and gas cylinders, creating panic in local markets.
- Mumbra Police traced the student, detained him, and filmed his apology in which he admitted the claim was fake and asked people not to believe it.
- Officers counseled him, issued a notice, and released him after a warning, and his Instagram profile was later deactivated.
- The central government denied any plan for a nationwide lockdown, and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said fuel supplies remain available as authorities urged people to avoid sharing unverified claims.