Shanghai: A man in China has been detained by police and slapped a fine of 500 yuan ($76) for spreading a rumour that radiation leaked from Japan has polluted the sea off the coast of eastern Shandong province.
The 31-year-old man, a computer company employee, had posted a hoax on a local online forum. It said that the radiation leaked from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan had polluted the sea off the coast of eastern Shandong province.
He encouraged people to store salt and dried kelp, besides saying that they should try to avoid eating seafood for a year.
The post spread rapidly on the Internet and caused local residents to panic, said police.
The netizen surnamed Chen in Hangzhou of East China's Zhejiang province, was sent to custody for 10 days and fined by the local police Sunday for spreading rumours online last Tuesday, China Daily reported.
Chen claimed he received the false information when chatting with a friend online.
In Shanghai, the local police said on Friday last week that two men will face prosecution for disseminating rumours that said the city will be severely contaminated by the nuclear leak in Japan, a Shanghai-based news portal reported.
IANS
First Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 21:56