Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Claim
Videos showing Atiq Ahmed murder accused chanting “Jai Shree Ram” are manipulated and doctored.
Fact
Media reports and videos from the incident confirm that the accused shouted ‘Jai Shree Ram’ after killing the Ahmed brothers.
Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were gunned down by three men who posed as media persons on Saturday, while the police were taking the duo for a medical check-up in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. The “live murder” in police’s presence prompted the Opposition leaders to call out “lawlessness” in UP under BJP’s Yogi Adityanath.
Since the duo were shot dead in front of the media, several clips showing the three accused killing the Ahmed brothers and turning themselves in voluntarily surfaced online. Soon after, several social media users observed that the assailants chanted “Jai Shree Ram” following the murder. Their observation was soon dismissed by a section of social media users, who asserted that the videos are “fake and dubbed.”
Such tweets can be seen here, here, here, here and here.
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Accused Identified, Killed Atiq For Fame
The three assailants in the Atiq and Ashraf Ahmed murder case have been identified as Luvlesh Tiwari, Mohit, alias Sunny and Arun Kumar Maurya. Initial reports suggest that the trio carried out the assassination “to become popular.” Reportedly, the FIR quoted the accused as saying, “We wanted to kill Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf with the aim of completely wiping off the Atiq-Ashraf gang and making a name for ourselves.” It added, “The moment we received an update about Atiq and Ashraf being taken into police custody, we planned to kill them by posing as local journalists and blending with the crowd.” The gunmen did not escape the scene, and surrendered to the police. They have been granted 14-day judicial custody by a district court.
Fact Check/Verification
We skimmed through various footage of the Ahmad brothers’ assassination and spotted the mics of news organisations ANI, PTI, ABP News and News18 among others – hence these outlets captured the incident at source.
Following this, we skimmed through video reports by these outlets on Atiq Ahmad’s murder case, and found footage uploaded on the official YouTube channel of ABP News, dated April 16, 2023. It shows the police pinning down an accused, who can be heard saying “Jai Shree Ram… Surrender … Surrender Kar De..”
Trigger Warning: Disturbing Visuals
Also Read: Did RSS Issue Letter Instructing Hindu Men To Coax Muslim Women Into ‘Ghar Wapsi’?
Further, a keyword search “Atiq,” “accused,” & “Jai Shree Ram” on YouTube led us to a video report by Hindustan Times, dated April 16, 2023. Around 22 seconds into the video, we heard calls of “surrenders” and chants of “Jai Shree Ram.”
News18 Uttar Pradesh, Live Hindustan and The Quint also shared the videos post Atiq’s assassination where the accused can be heard chanting “Jai Shree Ram.”
Multiple news outlets have reported that Atiq’s alleged assailants shouted “Jai Shree Ram” and “surrender” after shooting him dead. Such reports can be seen here, here and here.
Conclusion
Viral post claiming that the accused in Atiq Ahmed murder case did not chant “Jai Shree Ram” after killing him is false. Media reports and live videos confirm that the assailants did shout the religious slogan while voluntarily turning themselves to the police.
Result: False
Sources
YouTube Video By ABP News, Dated April 16, 2023
YouTube Video By Hindustan Times, Dated April 16, 2023
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
