An auto driver in Bihar, Gajendra Shah, was on his way to purchase a tin shed when he discovered that he had lost Rs. 20,000 in his pocket.
On any average day, if you lose Rs 20,000 on the streets, chances of you finding the notes lying where you left them are almost negligible. But not during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a report by India Today, an auto driver in Bihar, Gajendra Shah, was on his way to purchase a tin shed when he discovered that he had lost Rs. 20,000 in his pocket, much to his dismay. He also realised that he must have dropped the cash somewhere along the road and that it must have fallen when he took out tobacco from his pocket.
He did try to look for it along the way, but couldn’t find it. Disappointed, he returned home to find that his neighbours knew where the money was. Apparently, some people had found the cash lying on the side of the road. Usually, the finders might have just taken it but this time around, fake news around Covid-19 acted as a blessing.
The people informed the nearby police station and told the cops that the money was infected with Covid-19 virus and that it had been kept there to spread the disease. Bizarre, right?
But an infodemic of fake news has been spreading faster than the virus itself in India, even as the whole world grapples to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Social media and WhatsApp forwards, unfortunately, are some of the biggest sources of fake news in the country.
On realising that his money was safe, Shah headed to the police station. Following an elaborate verification process, the money was handed over to its rightful owner.
