Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
14-year-old Muslim boy bullied and tortured by Hindu extremists.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact
Newschecker ran a reverse image search, which led us to this Kerala Kaumudi report, dated October 23, 2022, sharing a screengrab of the viral video. According to the report, a local BJP leader and his aides thrashed a 30-year-old Dalit man, blackened his face and tonsured his head after accusing him of stealing a toilet seat from a house in the locality.
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We then ran a relevant keyword search, which led us to multiple media reports on the incident, seen here, here and here, stating that it happened in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh.
“Visuals of the daily wage earner Rajesh Kumar being assaulted by a mob have gone viral. In the video, a crowd can be seen cheering on and recording video as his head is shaved and his face blackened…Radheshyam Mishra, a local BJP leader, his aides Renu Vajpai and Rakesh Tiwari have been identified as the culprits involved in the assault. The cops have arrested the two aides and Mishra is on the run,” read an India Today report, dated October 23, 2022.
We came across The Print report, dated October 24, 2022, where additional superintendent of police Ashok Kumar said an FIR under relevant sections of IPC and SC/ST Act was lodged against Mishra, Saroj alias Renu Vajpai and Tiwari, and all three had been arrested.
Result: False
Sources
Kerala Kaumudi report, October 23, 2022
India Today report, October 23, 2022
The Print report, October 24, 2022
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
