Two elderly persons have been arrested for spreading fake news about the novel coronavirus, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Mizoram inspector-general of police (headquarters) John Neihlaia said fake news about new positive case being detected in the state was widely circulated on WhatsApp groups recently.

The fake news claimed the co-passenger of a person, who tested positive for Covid-19 recently, was also found infected with coronavirus. The newly infected person belongs to Bualpui village near Haulawng in Lunglei district, it said.

The fake news was first posted by a 62-year-old man from South Chawngtui village in Hnahthial district in a WhatsAppp group called Runtlang Hraichawi. He was the leader of the local-level task force on Covid-19 and a member of the South Chawngtui branch of Young Mizo Association, Neihlaia said. The elderly man was arrested on Saturday and booked under Section 41 of CrPC, he said.

Another man, aged 60, from the same village, who spread the same fake news was also arrested on Saturday, after taking cognisance from Lunglei chief judicial magistrate, Neihlaia said.

He was booked under Section 505 (1) (b) of the IPC.

So far, the police have arrested more than 18 people for spreading rumours about coronavirus.

Earlier, 15 people were arrested in connection with three cases registered by police over fake news between February 9 and 13.

After this, a person was also arrested for issuing a fake circular in the name of chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo warning Mizos, who stayed in different parts of the country, to come home or they would be declared non-Mizos.

A 33-year-old woman was also arrested on March 24 for hiding her travel history.

The woman returned from Macau on March 10 and after her arrival at Lengpui airport, she had claimed she came from Calcutta, the police said.