Rumour Of Salt Shortage Triggers Panic, One Dead  

Hyderabad: Dismissing rumours of shortage of salt in the market, the Hyderabad Police on Saturday warned that strong action would be taken against those spreading such news.

In social media, some rumours have been floating that there is acute shortage of common salt/table salt. Such news is absolutely false and baseless, a release from the Commissioner of Police said. Adequate quantities of salt are available in the market in Hyderabad, it said, asking people not to believe such rumours. Strong action will be initiated against those spreading these rumours, the release added.

On Friday, lack of small denomination currency had triggered rumours of black marketing of essential commodities like salt as shopkeepers refused to provide change when offered with higher denomination notes. In several states, there were reports of panicked customers flocking to market as rumours flew thick and fast that salt has gone out of shelves and shopkeepers are selling at a premium - as high as Rs 200 per kg.

Lucknow: Rumours of no salt stocks in Uttar Pradesh triggered a major law and order situation, leading to the death of a woman in Kanpur, police said on Saturday.

In the panic buying around midnight, when the rumours spread like wildfire in Bakarganj Bazaar in Kanpur, Savita (52) too, rushed to buy some salt. In the melee she was pushed around and slipped into a drain, dying on the spot, the police said. Police had to resort to cane charge at many places as the panic-stricken gathered in long queues outside grocery shops and retail outlets.

Similar situation was witnessed in Meerut where the mob tried to loot grocery shops at Shyamnagar, Lisadhi gate and Samar Garden.Eleven persons were arrested in Ghaziabad for hoarding large stocks of salt and trying to sell them at inflated rates.

Police and Food and Civil Supply officers were rush to many places in Lucknow, Allahabad, Etawah, Mainpuri, Agra, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Ghazipur to control the horde.

One person each was arrested in Firozabad, Mainpuri and Gorakhpur while trying to illegally stock salt packets. Tension was reported from places like Rampur, Bareilly and Moradabad where salt sold at a whopping Rs 500 a kilo. The police intervened and forced the shops to close.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in a late Friday night statement asked people not to pay heed to rumours of salt shortage and assured that there was adequate stock.