Authors
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.
‘Rajasthan mein Jungleraj’ briefly took over as one of the main trends on Twitter on Wednesday. Among several claims alleging slipping law and order situation in the state, was the image of a man, sitting on a hospital bed with 3rd degree burn injuries.
Captions accompanying the image claimed that the man in the photo was a Hindu priest who was set ablaze in Karauli district of the state, and cited it as proof of growing crimes in Rajasthan. But a quick fact check by Newschecker proves that the image was from an incident that took place in October 2020, and not recent as was being pitched.
The images have been shared by multiple accounts and have seen hundreds of shares and comments.
Fact Check/Verification
One of the image in the trending hashtag (#राजस्थान_में_जंगलराज) shows the image of a man with severe burn injuries sitting on a hospital bed. The following text has been superimposed on the image – ‘Priest, who tried to stop encroachers from taking over temple property in Rajasthan’s Karauli, doused in petrol and set on fire’.
Another post carries the image of both Priyanka Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot with that of the charred man, claiming ‘Priyanka Gandhi who is a fake well-wisher of Brahmins will not speak up, because the priest who was set on fire is a Brahmin.’
A reverse image search and Twitter search throws up several links to tweets from October 2020, which, similar to the recent posts, claimed that the image was of a Hindu priest in Karauli who was set ablaze by local goons following an attempted encroachment of a local temple.
The incident was also widely reported in the media and grew to be a major political issue in the state during the time.
Speaking to Newschecker, Additional SP of Karauli, Prakash Chand said, “The incident is from October 2020 and it is not a new case. An arrest has been made in the case and the chargesheet has been filed. The legal proceedings are underway as well.”
Conclusion
The viral image of the priest being shared is from October 9, 2020, and not a recent incident. However, the other details of the claim, ie, the religion of the man, the cause of death and the location were found to be true.
Result: Misleading
Our Sources
Prakash Chand, Karauli Additional SP
Media reports
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Authors
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.
