Tamil Nadu police arrests man who claimed to have developed herbal cure for COVID-19

One Thanikasalam claimed he has found a cure for the deadly infection and promoted his message through social media pages and newspaper, said an Indian Express report. According to a release issued by Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department, he has no medical qualification and was running a Siddha Hospital near the Koyembedu bus stand, the report added.

Under section 8 of the Epidemic Disease Act and Regulations, any kind of information published on social media require preapproval of Director of Public Health, Medical Education Board, Rural Health Services, District collector.

“Thanikasalam claimed that he had found a medicine that could cure Covid-19 and spread false information through newspapers and social media putting people’s lives at risk. The director of Indian Medicine Homeopathy has formally lodged a complaint and the action was being initiated on him,” the release said, the report informed.

The accused had uploaded over 70 videos across his social media channels and on his website claiming that he had created a herbal medicine that can cure a COVID-19 patient withing 48 hours. He even said he was ready to be infected with the virus and get cured by his own medicine. He also claimed to have cured a COVID-19 patient who was refused treatment by doctors in London, the report stated.

He also said wearing masks and using other safety equipment will not stop the spread of the infection. He also said the Siddha Medical Council could not come up with any medicine despite its 70 years of research.

Police arrested him under section 54 of Disaster Management Act (Whoever makes or circulates a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic, shall on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine), Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant), reported  Indian Express.