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
Posters of Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis holding a gun with the Hindi text reading, “revenge is complete”, put up across Mumbai after NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead.
Fact
Hoardings were put up after the September 2024 encounter killing of the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case.
After former Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead outside his son’s office in Mumbai last week on October 12, allegedly on the orders of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is lodged at Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail, several social media users are circulating a purported photo of a hoarding featuring the state’s deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The poster, showing Fadnavis brandishing a gun with the Hindi text reading, “Revenge is complete”, has gone viral with claims insinuating that such posters were put up across the city after Siddique’s murder and that it was proof of the ruling BJP-Shiv Shena government’s support, just weeks before the crucial state Assembly elections.
“A former minister of Maharashtra government, a politician and an industrialist were murdered. After that, posters with photos of Maharashtra’s Home Minister and @Dev_Fadnavis Chief Minister were put up all over Mumbai, saying “Revenge is complete”. Does it mean that Fadnavis got this murder done? Can such posters of a Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister be put up all over the city without his permission? In which direction is the country going? May God protect this country now,” read an X post by AAP leader Naresh Balyan, which has clocked 34.7K views.
Fact Check
Newschecker ran a reverse image search, which led us to this Hindustan Times report, dated September 23, 2024, featuring the same photo, credited to the news outlet.
“A day after leaders and workers of the Shiv Sena celebrated the killing of Akshay Shinde, the arrested accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, in a police encounter….the Bharatiya Janata Party appeared to try to one-up its ally. On Wednesday, posters showing deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis holding a gun with the caption “Badla Pura” (revenge taken) appeared in various parts of Mumbai, including Kherwadi, Andheri, Lalbaug and Sion,” read the report, adding that the posters, which did not have the name or symbol of any political party, were set up overnight and later removed by the civic body.
‘Encounter’ Killing Of Badlapur Accused
The Thane police allegedly killed Akshay Shinde, who was accused of sexually assaulting two girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur where he used to work as a sweeper, in a retaliatory firing after he allegedly snatched a police officer’s gun and opened fire. The policemen were taking him from Taloja jail to Badlapur on September 23.
Similar reports on the controversial poster that triggered a political row can be seen here, here and here, confirming that it predates the Siddique murder, even as the BJP denied any role in putting up the posters.
Conclusion
Old posters of Devendra Fadnavis holding a gun that were put up after the encounter killing of the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case falsely linked to the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.
Result: Missing Context
Sources
Hindustan Times report, September 23, 2024
Indian Express report, September 25, 2024
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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.
