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
Calf meat was thrown inside a Goddess Durga temple in Hyderabad.
Fact
It was the foetus of a goat and not of a calf, which was dumped by a street dog on the road in front of the temple, DCP clarifies.
Several social media users are circulating a composite photo, comprising closeups of what appears to be meat, claiming that an “anonymous” person threw calf meat inside the mandapam of a Goddess Durga temple in Masab Tank, Hyderabad. The communally charged posts urge Hindus to raise their voice, stating, “We want justice, if we remain silent, in the coming years, India may change into another Bangladesh.”
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact Check
Newschecker ran a keyword search for “Durga temple Masab Tank”, which led us to this Telangana Today report, dated October 13, 2024, stating that mild tension prevailed for a while at Pochamma Basthi, Masab Tank, after pieces of meat were found near a temple on Saturday night.
“After analysing the footage of the surveillance cameras installed near the spot the police found that a couple of stray dogs had carried the meat pieces from somewhere and left it in the temple. The police made the footage public and asked the citizens not to believe in rumours,” read the report.
“Based on the analysis of the Closed Circuit Television cameras, police found a few dogs carrying the meat had dropped it near the temple. The police made the footage public and asked the citizens not to believe in rumours,” read a similar Siasat Daily report, dated October 13, 2024, featuring a screengrab of the CCTV footage.
The CCTV clip can be seen here,here and here, uploaded by local media outlets on Twitter, stating that the police found that a couple of stray dogs had carried the meat pieces from somewhere and left it in the temple.
Newschecker then reached out to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) West Zone of Hyderabad City Police, SM Vijay Kumar, who stated that the viral claims were not entirely correct. “Although the finding of the carcass of an animal on the road in front of a temple in Masab Tank is true, it was the foetus of a goat and not of a calf, which was carried by a street dog from a nearby garbage dump. The carcass was not thrown by any person as claimed in the viral post and also, it was not inside the temple, but on the road in front of the temple.”
Also Read: Islamic Chants During Navratri In West Bengal? No, 2023 Video From TMC Rally Shared With False Claim
Conclusion
Viral post on meat found inside a temple in Hyderabad shared with a false communal narrative.
Result: Partly False
Sources
The Siasat Daily report, October 13, 2024
Conversation with SM Vijay Kumar, DCP, West Zone of Hyderabad City Police
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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.
