UP police to take action against those spreading rumours that COVID spreads through 5G trials

The Uttar Pradesh Police has directed all commissioners, DIGs and superintendents of police to initiate action against those spreading rumours that COVID-19 infection spreads through 5G trials.
In a letter to all the commissioners of police, DIGs and superintendents of police, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that rumours are being spread on social media that radiation during 5G testing is the reason behind the sudden surge in COVID infection and deaths.

Apart from this, an audio went viral in which a youth can be heard speaking to a person in Bihar claiming that the 5G testing is the reason behind the sudden surge in COVID cases and a man can be heard saying that because of the 5G testing people are dying.

Some posts were also uploaded on social media that 5G towers were closed and uprooted in villages in Fatehpur, Siddharthnagar, Gorakhpur and Sultanpur.

Issuing instructions that these rumours be contained, ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that intelligence mechanism be activated on this front, and immediate action be initiated on even the smallest piece of information.

"The rumours must be immediately refuted, and necessary action be initiated," he said.

An audio message claiming that the 5G trials were the reason behind the sudden surge in COVID cases in India has been doing the rounds. In the message, a man can be heard saying that because of 5G testing people are dying in states like UP, Maharashtra and Bihar.

The Department of Telecom on Tuesday approved applications of telecom companies – Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and MTNL – for conducting 5G trials. According to DoT, 5G technology is expected to deliver ten times better download speed than that of 4G and up to three times greater spectrum efficiency.