Dr. Bidyut Baruah, faculty of Department of Mathematics, at CNB College, Bokakhat has been asked to respond to a show-cause notice by the Office of the Circle Officer.
Dr. Baruah has been alleged of spreading panic and chaos through a tweet without proper fact check among the locals residing in the area nearby the college which is an institutional quarantine centre.
On 31st May, Dr. Baruah posted a tweet mentioning Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Finance, Atul Bora, Minister of Agriculture and Inspector General G.P. Singh stating the quarantine centre has been functioning without any security personnel on board. IG G.P. Singh retweeted Baruah's tweet mentioning the Superintendent of Police, Golagahat.
On June 1st, a showcause notice was sent to Dr.Baruah demanding immediate justification for avoiding legal action as per provisions of National Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Indian Epidemic Act 1897.
Dr. Baruah replied to the show-cause notice stating, he tweeted to inform officials in order to prevent further spread of the pandemic in the locality. He added the locals informed him regarding the missing security personnel at the college till 10.30 P.M. while two suspected COVID19 patients were admitted in the quarantine centre.
He requested the concerned authorities to excuse a legal action against him and consider the tweet as an act committed in good faith instead of suspecting it as an evil intent of spreading fake news.
