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.
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
Muslims vandalising a toll plaza in Chandigarh.
Fact
Video from Bangladesh shared with a false narrative.
A video purportedly showing a man in an Islamic attire engaging in an altercation with toll plaza staff, and forcibly removing the barricade clearing passage for a pickup truck, carrying multiple persons wearing skull caps, is going viral on social media platforms. Several social media users who shared the video claimed that it shows an incident from Chandigarh. Newschecker, however, found the claim to be untrue.
The video, spanning over one minute and eight seconds, is being widely circulated on X and Facebook with users claiming it to be from “Kurali toll plaza” at Chandigarh. Some posts incorrectly spell Chandigarh as “Chandighar.” A few others just alleged that the video is from India, without specifying any particular locations.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Newschecker received the video on our WhatsApp tipline (+91-9999499044) requesting to be fact checked.
Also Read: India Has Not Halted Its Electricity Supply To Bangladesh
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to a report by Dhaka Tribune, dated September 18, 2024. Carrying a screengrab from the same clip, it stated, “The barricade of Kuril toll plaza on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway has been vandalised by miscreants centring the crossing of a pickup van. A CCTV video footage from the Kuril toll plaza has spread on social media, particularly Facebook.”
AHM Akhtar, the Project Director of Elevated Expressway, told the outlet that about 30-40 people were travelling in the pickup van. Such pickup vans, motorcycles, rickshaws etc are not allowed on the Elevated Expressway.“However, the people in the pickup van did not want to comply with this regulation and ended up causing the incident before paying the toll and leaving. It remains unknown where they came from,” he was quoted as saying.
Bangladesh-based outlet, bdnews24.com, also corroborated that the incident happened at the Kuril Toll Plaza of Dhaka’s Elevated Expressway.
It further quoted Haseeb Hasan Khan, an official at First Dhaka Elevated Expressway (FDEE) Company Limited, as saying “This car is like a pickup, many people were standing in it. Our ticket collector saw on camera that the vehicle cannot go on the expressway as per safety regulations. Then he called our MIS and asked if the vehicle would be allowed to go or not. At that time, some passengers got down from the car, demanding to know why they were not allowed to go even after paying the toll.. (translated from Bengali via Google)”
Daily Ittefaq also shared the same video on their official YouTube channel on September 18, 2024, to show an incident at the Dhaka Elevated Expressway.
Multiple other Bangladeshi outlets such as this, this and this also reported on the same.
Also Read: Visuals Showing A Massive Crowd Marching For Manipur Is Actually AI-Generated
Conclusion
Hence, a video from Bangladesh has been falsely shared to show men in Islamic attire vandalising a toll plaza in Chandigarh.
Result: False
Sources
Report By Dhaka Tribune, Dated September 18, 2024
Report By bdnews24.com, Dated September 18, 2024
YouTube Video By Daily Ittefaq, Dated September 18, 2024
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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.
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.
