That rumor mongering is amplified by Social media and often leads to violence.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_WhatsApp_lynchings

https://www.wired.com/story/how-whatsapp-fuels-fake-news-and...

I do not like shutting of Internet in any area but I am not the one responsible for maintaining law and order. Additionally, in the age of e2e apps, it becomes quite difficult to find the real perpetrators.