Story:

Delhi Police Pouring Fuel inside to Burn a Bus during Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Delhi, near Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Other Versions

Policemen in New Delhi, India pouring fuel into a bus to burn and blame on students of Jamia Milia

Fact Check:

A ‘breaking’ story doing rounds on social media alleges to show Delhi Police Pour Fuel to Burn a Bus during CAA protests and blame it on Jamia Milia students. The short video in fact shows a person carrying a white container and pouring something into a bus in protest area, around couple of bikes set on fire. No, the claims in question are not true – the policemen were only trying to put off fire and safeguard the bus.

CAA Protests Turned Violent Around Jamia Millia Islamia University

On 15th December 2019 afternoon, silent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent around the Jamia Millia Islamia University campus. Some violent protesters pelted stones at Delhi government buses and set three DTC buses and few two-wheelers on fire. They also attacked a fire tender in New Friends’ Colony in South Delhi and some of the fire fighters were also injured. Consequently, Delhi Police entered the University campus and blocked the varsity gates to nab some “outsiders” who had entered the premises to hide. Both the Jamia Millia students’ community and the Teachers’ Association have disassociated themselves with the violence. Varsity officials also suggested anti-social elements infiltrated into the protest march and resorted to vandalism and violence.

Did Delhi Police Burn a Bus?

Amidst the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Delhi, the video and the claims became popular on social media. They suggested Delhi police deliberately poured fuel inside the bus no – DL1PD0299 to burn it and blame the University students in protest. A screenshot from the video also became viral on social media.

India Today reported the protests live from the area outside the University, near New Friends colony. Their video in fact shows some glimpses of stone-pelting and buses set on fire. The report also contains the footage in question – if Delhi police were planning to set a bus on fire. On site India Today reporter describes the scene and mentions the protest was led by Aam Aadmi Party member Amanatullah Khan and it suddenly turned violent. He also says violent protesters started pelting stones, targeting government buses.

Another Journalist on site, Arvind Gunasekar also tweeted about involvement of a violent mob. He mentioned it is not the way to protest and everyone should condemn violence and destruction of public property. There are also other reports mentioning political involvement and presence of local goons in the violence.

Fire Extinguishing, Safety Measure

Coming to the video in question, it does not actually show Delhi Police setting the bus on fire. There are also no reports suggesting the Delhi bus number DL1PD0299 was burnt. The policemen were in fact dousing the fire. At the very beginning of the video, you can see another man – in similar dress – carrying a container of water and pouring over the bikes set on fire. Note, another man in red trouser comes running with fire extinguisher to put off the flames. The policeman in question also does similar thing – carrying container of water – going around and pouring it inside the bus. It is in fact a safety measure to wet surrounding things – to avoid spreading of fire in such scenario.

The Delhi bus no – DL1PD0299 was in fact pelted with stones, breaking its glasses in protest. It’s a matter of coincidence, the same bus number – DL1PD0299 broke down earlier in August 2018, when Delhi Traffic Police tweeted about it.

So, the Delhi Police were not planning to burn a bus during CAA protests and blame students. Unfortunately, the rumors also spread like fire. After the incident, PRO Delhi Police, MS Randhawa gave a media statement asking people not to pay attention to rumors. He said Delhi Police is monitoring the situation and will soon identify the anti-social elements.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

Delhi: Anti-CAA protest turns violent as 3 buses burnt in Jamia Nagar

CAA protests: Students lay seige to police HQ after violence near Jamia University

The post Delhi Police Pour Fuel to Burn a Bus During CAA Protests: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

An Attack on the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanim..Shocking Video!

Other Versions

(Urdu)

#مرزوق_الغانم اعتداء على رئيس مجلس الامه الكويتي مرزوق الغانم

Fact Check:

A ‘shocking’ video is doing rounds on social media purporting to show an Attack on the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanim. The one-minute video appears to show an Arabic man coming in Army convoy and meeting another person before the attack, gunfire and rescue. Although it looks so, the video is not a real attack on Kuwaiti Speaker or any other person.

On 11th December 2019, there was an attempted assault on Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim. The incident took place after he paid respects to the deaths of a number of Kuwaiti families at Al-Sulaibikhat Cemetery. According to reports, a citizen named Nayef Al-Marzouq tried to assault Kuwaiti Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim after exchanging insults at the Cemetery. To clarify the incident and avoid confusion, Marzouq Al-Ghanim explained it on his Twitter account. He also mentioned some old video clips are circulating on social media in this regard and they are not related to the incident.

Not the Video of Attack on Kuwaiti Speaker

The aforementioned attempted attack on Kuwaiti Speaker was in fact a personal incident, not very serious. It did not cause any kind of physical harm to him. The video in question is completely unrelated and comes from a different context altogether. In the video, you can see coldness of the audience around the scene. There’s no reaction to the alleged attack and gunfire, and some viewers are in fact shooting the scene on mobile. It is not a real attack – the video in fact shows a military parade showing how to protect important personalities. Alhadath News also reported about the video and showed the military drill parade of Kuwaiti Emiri Guard Authority from different angle.

So, the video does not show an attack on the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanim. The video is rather part of Gulf Defense and Aviation Exhibition held in Kuwait from 10th to 12th December 2019.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Attack on Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker, Video: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

A Jaglion, a Rare Cross between a Male Jaguar and a Female Lion.

Other Versions

Rare cross between a lion and jaguar. Called a liguar

Fact Check:

The photograph appears popularly online purporting to show a Rare Cross between a Jaguar and a Lion. While some call the unusual black cat a Jaglion as a cross between a Male Jaguar and a Female Lion, others call it a Liguar, a cross between a lion and jaguar. The black cat creature appears so dark in photograph, viewers thought it is not real and a Photoshop creation. The photograph is real – it in fact shows a Melanistic Jaglion, a rare cross between a Male Jaguar and a Female Lion (Lioness).

Jaglion, Cross Between Male Jaguar & Female Lion

A Panthera hybrid is a crossbreed between any of four species – Tiger, Lion, Jaguar and Leopard – in captivity. They are rare because most of the hybrids do not exist long in the wild as males are usually infertile. The names of the hybrid species vary depending upon the type of crossbreed among the four species.

A Liguar is an offspring of a male Lion and a female Jaguar. On the other hand, a Jaglion or Jaguon is the offspring between a male Jaguar and a female Lion (lioness). A similar story in past showed Leopon, a cross between a Leopard and a Lion.

Coming to the photograph in question, the Jaglion is real and not Photoshopped. On 9th April 2006, two Jaglion babies Jahzara (female) and Tsunami (male) were born at Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario, Canada. It happened after a black Jaguar called Diablo and the lioness Lola mated unexpectedly. Jahzara, the female Jaglion inherited her dad’s dominant melanism gene.

Both Jahzara and Tsunami turned 7 years old in April of 2013. On their 10th birthday in 2016, Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary shared a small video of Jahzara on their Facebook page.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact with some misinformation.

The post Jaglion, a Rare Cross Between a Jaguar and Lion: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

A Serial Killer and Mother of 4 Turned her Victims into Soap and Sold them to People.

Other Versions

Serial killer mother killed 3 women, made soap out of them and sold to neighbors.

Fact Check:

A shocking story in circulation claims a serial killer and mother of 4 killed 3 women, made soap out of them and sold to neighbors. The unusual crime story in fact talks about an Italian serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli (18 April 1894 – 15 October 1970), better known as the “Soap-Maker of Correggio”.  Complete details of the case are explained here.

About Leonarda Cianciulli

Leonarda Cianciulli was an Italian woman born in Montella, Avellino. As a young girl, she attempted suicide twice. She married a registry office clerk, Raffaele Pansardi against her parents’ approval and moved to his native town of Lauria, Potenza. She was sentenced and imprisoned for fraud there in 1927. After release, they had to change places due to Earthquake and opened a small shop in Correggio, Reggio Emilia in 1930s. She became popular as kind woman and doting mother in the neighborhood.

In her 17 pregnancies during marriage, Leonarda Cianciulli lost 3 children to miscarriage and 10 more died at young age. As a result, she became very protective of the surviving 4 children. Reportedly, her fears were fueled by a gypsy fortune teller who warned her about the tragedies of her children in future. Leonarda Cianciulli, a superstitious woman also believed she needed a human sacrifice to protect them.

Murders of Three Women

In 1939, Cianciulli’ eldest son and favorite child, Giuseppe was going to join the Italian Army in preparation for World War II. She became fearsome and decided to protect him at all costs. Between 1939 and 1940, Leonarda lured three middle-aged women – Faustina Setti, Francesca Soavi and Virginia Cacioppo – into her shop. She drugged them, killed them with an axe and disposed off their remains boiling them in Caustic soda. All three in fact asked Leonarda for help to escape from the routine and solitude of Correggio.

In her court testimony, Leonarda Cianciulli explained she turned one of the women’s remains into soap bars and gave them out to neighbors and acquaintances. She also mentioned making tea cakes out of the dead bodies. Thus, she has the nickname “la Saponificatrice di Correggio,” translating to “the soap-maker of Correggio.”

Discovery of Crime and Sentence

Virginia Cacioppo’s sister-in-law became suspicious of her sudden disappearance. She complained to Superintendent of Police mentioning she last saw her entering the house of Leonarda Cianciulli. Police investigated into the matter and arrested Leonarda Cianciulli, who did not confess to the murders at first. When police started to believe her son Giuseppe Pansardi was involved in the crime, she confessed to the murders, providing detailed accounts of what she did to them.

Leonarda Cianciulli was diagnosed as “manic,” but she was able to stand the trial in 1946. Court sentenced her to 30 years in prison and 3 years in a criminal asylum. On 15th October 1970, Cianciulli died of cerebral apoplexy in the women’s criminal asylum of Pozzuoli. Interestingly, a number of artifacts from the case, including the pot in which the victims were boiled, were on display at the Criminological Museum in Rome.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact with some misinformation.

The post Serial Killer Mother Turned Victims Into Soap & Sold: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

This old military base was abandoned when a creature from the experimentation room escaped and killed five people. To this day, the creature hasn’t been found.

Other Versions

This was on old military air base. Data shows it was abandoned when something from the experimentation room escaped and killed 5 people.

Fact Check:

A picture message popular online purports to show an old, abandoned military base after a creature from the experimentation room escaped and killed five people. It also suggests data from the military base shows there’s no sign of the ‘creature’ after the incident. No, the creepy claims are not true and explained here.

Not about Experimentation Creature from Military Base

First, the claims in question often appear online as memes about Human Experimentation, in ‘Creepy’ posts. Again, they say something from the experimentation room escaped and killed 5 people. The picture in question does indeed show an abandoned place looking like some kind of control room.

As a matter of fact, the photograph originally appeared on a Tumblr page bestabandoned.tumblr.com with title – Abandoned office. More importantly, the description tags of the photograph only mention it as an abandoned building with left over objects and computers. Moreover, the Photographer Gina Soden shares many such abandoned buildings and objects as artistic beauty. Note the photograph actually carries the water mark of ‘Gina Soden Photography’ on bottom right.

What you see in the photograph is in fact a site in the UK for design and development of gas turbine and jet engines. You can see below couple of similar photographs from the scene showing the abandoned site.

National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE), known as Pyestock opened after Second World War in the secluded wooded spot between Farnborough and Fleet. For more than 50 years, Pyestock was in fact at the forefront of gas turbine and jet engine research, development and testing. It closed down in 2000 and consequently fell into a state of neglect. The abandoned site of NGTE Pyestock was scheduled for demolition in 2013.

So, the photograph has nothing to do with any experimentation creature escaping and killing five people. It’s a fabricated story, perhaps originating as a meme.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

Goodbye Pyestock: Haunting images of iconic home of British engineering which tested Concorde engines at 2,000mph

The post Experimentation Creature in Old Military Base Killed 5 People: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

ABVP Member Bharat Sharma Hitting Girls with Stick, Dressed in Police Gear During Jamia Anti-CAA Protests in Delhi.

Other Versions

1. The man in Red Tshirt who was seen hitting the girls with stick during Jamia protest is an ABVP Member Bharat Sharma, He should b prosecuted! & how cops took his help

2. His name is Bharat Sharma. Law student of Delhi University. State executive committee member of ABVP. Volunteer of RSS. Clearly seen kicking students for no reason and abusing them.

Fact Check:

Couple of stories viral in India allege to show Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) member Bharat Sharma Hitting Girls with Stick. They claim he was dressed in Police gear, wearing helmet and kicking and beating students for no reason during student protests against CAA in Delhi. The claims as such are mixture of hoax and facts, explained here.

On 15th December 2019, silent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent around the Jamia Millia Islamia University campus. Amidst involvement of political parties and local goons, it caused damage to public property and fight between police and students. Consequently, the two stories in question became popular on social media.

ABVP Member Hitting Girls in Police Gear?

A message went viral on Twitter alleging to show ABVP member Bharat Sharma in civil dress – red t-shirt and blue jeans – wearing helmet on his head and a chest guard on his body. It said he was hitting girls with stick during Jamia protests. It also said he should be prosecuted and questioned how cops took his help.

Related, Viral Image

Earlier, Journalist Barkha Dutt shared an image – mentioning a viral video – showing two young women save a male friend from police lathis by giving him cover. She called the two girls Ladeeda Farzana & Ayesha Renna as sheroes of Jamia and Shaheen whom they saved. The viral picture from the video appears to show Delhi police beating girls with sticks.

The fact of the matter is slightly different. As you can see in the full video below, the police were not beating girls. The policeman in red shirt appears to have been beaten by someone and is in pain. It is possible; the man the girls were covering was involved in reported stone pelting at the police. In the video, you can also hear, the girls tell police not to beat him saying – he will not do anything (voh kuch nahi karega..).

Coming to the claim in question, Bharat Sharma is in fact a law student of Delhi University and ABVP activist. However, the police person in civil dress wearing helmet and protective chest gear is not Bharat Sharma. A senior police officer from Delhi told ThePrint he is actually an Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) Constable Arvind posted in the South District. DCP (Central) M.S. Randhawa also told ThePrint this is another lie spreading on social media to tarnish the image of Delhi Police. Further, another officer said members of specialized units of the police, including the AATS mostly operate in civil clothes. Official Twitter handle of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also tweeted about the false and defamatory allegations.

Bharat Sharma Kicking Student for No Reason?

There’s another short video spread wide on Twitter alleging to show Bharat Sharma kicking a student and abusing him for no reason. The video was in fact shared by Akshay Lakra, Delhi Unit President of the Congress’s National Students Union of India (NSUI) and law student of Delhi University.

The video is real and does in fact show Bharat Sharma kicking and abusing a student. However, in the small clip, it is unclear why he did it. There’s some commotion of protest in police presence inside the college campus of Delhi. In response to criticism against his act, Bharat Sharma shared the tweet of Akshay Lakra saying he is the same person who blackened the face of Veer Savarkar and other freedom fighters. He also said the video shared is just 10 seconds long, requesting to stop the propaganda.

In August 2019, Akshay Lakra in fact garlanded Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Savarkar with slippers and smeared black ink on it. It happened over a newly installed statue of Savarkar in the Delhi University campus. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, commonly known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar or just Veer Savarkar was an Indian independence activist, politician, lawyer and writer who formulated the Hindutva philosophy. He also had varied views on Muslims and Christians.

After the two allegations related to Jamia protests, Bharat Sharma faced many threats and abuses on himself and his family members. Consequently, he deleted his Facebook account.

Hoax or Fact:

Mixture of Hoax and Facts.

The post ABVP Member Hitting Girls in Police Gear Mid Jamia Protests: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Nehru took the decision of India’s Partition, separating Pakistan…he said it in his last TV Interview of 1964

Other Versions

(Hindi)

“विभाजन का निर्णय मैंने ही लिया था” – नेहरू

मई 1964 में दिए गए अपने अंतिम साक्षात्कार में नेहरु ने स्वीकारा कि विभाजन का निर्णय उन्होंने ही लिया था!

Fact Check:

A short video viral on social media alleges to show his last TV interview, where Nehru says he took the decision of India’s partition. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India also talks about role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the time. The video is real and does in fact come from Nehru’s last Television interview in May 1964. However, the claims as such are mixture of hoax and facts.

Nehru Last TV Interview: Speaks About India’s Partition among Others

The video viral on social media is just over one minute long and in fact comes from Nehru’s last TV interview in May 1964. YouTube channel Prasar Bharati Archives (Doordarshan) shared the full interview of Nehru to American TV Host Arnold Michaelis. National Educational Television presented the interview – The Essential Nehru: A conversation with Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India.

Related Questions & Answers from the Interview

In between interview, American TV Host Arnold Michaelis asks Nehru about the idea of renunciation of life. Nehru replied as below:

No, it cannot be applied to individuals, not to large groups. And I suppose the whole idea of renunciation is good after certain basic necessities are supplied or met. Today, the idea of renunciation to a poverty-stricken people is absurd because they have renounced everything, there’s very little left.

The host asks Nehru about his representation of many minorities of thought in India. He also questions if that was the key basis of partition in 1947 in division of minority. Nehru’s reply:

Yes, it was mainly based on religious minority and various other things also added onto it. The religious minority (Muslims) were afraid of India becoming free and they becoming a minority. They did not like that idea at all.

The host then asks Nehru about himself, Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Jinnah’s involvement in the fight for independence of India from British domination. Nehru’s reply:

Mr. Jinnah was not involved in the fight for independence at all. In fact, he opposed it. The Muslim League was really started by the British, encouraged by them..so as to create factions. They did succeed to some extent. And ultimately, there came the partition.

For your information, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a lawyer, politician and the founder of Pakistan, who also served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League.

The host asks if Nehru and Gandhi were in favor of Partition. Nehru’s reply:

Mr. Gandhi was not in favor of it right to the end, even when it came he was not in favor of it. I was not in favor of it either. But ultimately, I decided, like many others did, it is better to have partition than this constant trouble. And you see, the leaders of the Muslim League were big landlords and the like, who did not like land reforms.

Nehru suggested they would come in the way of land reforms India was planning to implement.

The host asks Nehru about many centuries of fraternal living with Muslims in India. Nehru’s reply:

Yes, many hundreds of years of fraternal living on the whole, with occasional trouble. It was a religious concept, more than anything. The Hindus were not and are not proselytizing race, they did not care much for the race, while the other party (Muslims) did. Muslims were keen on proselytizing and getting converts. In fact, nearly all the Muslims in India are descendants of Hindus and only handful came from outside.

In later part of the interview, when the host asks him about Jammu and Kashmir issue, Nehru said Pakistan helped tribal people to invade India in princely area of Jammu and Kashmir. He also said both the Maharaja at the time and the National Conference (Muslim party) resisted the invasion. Further, he talked about occupation of Pakistan troops and the trouble since then.

When the host asks him about grave consequences in case of war between Pakistan and India, Nehru agrees to it. He also says Pakistan’s entirety is based on fear and hatred on India – both undesirable things to have. He said they first relied on Western Countries to work against India and turned towards China later.

Then as a means of peaceful solution, Nehru says India and Pakistan have to be friends and have to cooperate as dependent countries as there are many common things. He in fact says it’s just foolish for the tension to continue between the two countries. Nehru also says there isn’t much tension between the people of either country. It’s more of political thing at the top, occasionally made worse by religious issues being brought to bear upon it.

To Conclude

So, Nehru in his last TV interview actually says he – like many others did – decided for India’s partition as it is better than having constant trouble. He also said the partition was mainly based on religious minority and various other things added onto it. To point out, Nehru said the leaders of the Muslim League were big landlords, who did not like land reforms planned for implementation in India.

Hoax or Fact:

Mixture of Hoax and Facts.

The post Nehru Took the Decision of India’s Partition, Video Interview: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Heart River, North Dakota USA.

Other Versions

1. The Heart River – tributary of the Missouri River- western North Dakota- USA

2. The Heart River near Mandan, Northern Dakota. Heart River is an influent of the Missouri River. It is almost 290 kilometers long. It is joined by the green river at Gladstone.

Fact Check:

A beautiful picture is in heavy circulation online alleging to show Heart River in Northern region of Dakota, USA. Accompanying messages claim the heart-shaped land and water form is a tributary of the Missouri River almost 290 kilometers long. No, the claims are not true – what you see in the picture is not real.

Not the Heart River in North Dakota

There’s in fact a real river called Heart River in Billings County of Southwestern region of North Dakota in United States. The river rises in the badlands and flows about 200 miles (320 km) generally Eastward past Dickinson to join the Missouri River, South of Mandan. Like mentioned in some messages, it is joined by the Green River at Gladstone. In the pictures below, you can see Upstream and Downstream views of the Heart River near Mandan.

As such, the real Heart River does not appear in the shape of heart. What you see in the photograph is not Heart River in Northern region of Dakota. It is a CGI product of Vienna Paint, a Creative Digital Art Company in Austria creating most realistic unrealistic images for their clients. You can see below some similar computer generated imageries of Vienna Paint. Note, the picture and the false story also appeared widely on funny meme websites.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax with some valid information.

The post Beautiful Picture of Heart River in North Dakota: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Blue Apple Made in China.

Other Versions

1. Ever seen Blue Apple?

2. Blue Colored Apple in China

Fact Check:

An interesting video popular online purports to show a fantastic Blue Color Apple made in China. It shows a person cutting a piece out of the alleged, unusual blue color apple grown on tree. No, the video does not actually show any Blue Colored Apple from China or any other place.

Not Blue Color Apple from China

The short ten seconds video is viral on social media, especially on video sharing platforms like Instagram and YouTube. While some viewers expressed concerns if the blue apple in video is a product of Genetic Engineering, others joked saying Roses are red and Apples are blue. Some also called it Oran Berry of Pokémon game. Nonetheless, as per available science, Nature does not grow Blue Apples. There are no news reports of any such incident in China or any other place.

Instagram user so.up.high shared the video clip in mid-October 2019 with a description saying it is ‘Blue Apple Made in China‘. He also mentioned ‘Video by 玩玩 蜜蜂 / ID: 686203066‘ visible on left in the video. The Instagram user so.up.high shared the video carrying a background music and mentioned tags #oddlysatisfying and #satisfyingsounds among others. Notably, the user shares many interesting videos with tags like ‘satisfyingsounds’.

What you see in the video is in fact an Apple dipped in blue color paint. You can see the painted signs in some pictures from the video. You can also observe in the background of the video, except the one blue (painted) apple, all other fruits on tree are natural in color.

Similar Videos

There’s another short video doing rounds online alleging to show a person cutting a blue colored apple with a knife.

In this case also, the apple is painted. Again, you can see normal color apples in background.

There are also videos showing such blue apples, which as a matter of fact are not even real and just visual effects. For example, back in 2011, a YouTube user skratchkojio shared a video saying – this is my blue apple, not painted and totally edible and tasty.

The low quality video was in fact made using video effects. The YouTube user accepted in comment section later saying it is just video fx.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Blue Color Apple Made in China, Video: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Dog eating shark in Australia while snakes mate

Other Versions

1. Dingo eating shark’s carcass while 2 snakes mate

2. A dingo eating a shark while 2 snakes have sex. Just a typical day in Australia mate.

3. Jarring photo shows a different side to Mother Nature than we’ve ever seen before

Fact Check:

An unusual and jarring photograph appears widely online alleging to show a Dog Eating Shark in Australia while two Snakes Mate. Other version of messages accompanying the photograph say it shows a Wild Dingo and two Snakes having sex, calling it a typical day in Australia. Despite the various claims, the photograph is not real – it is a composite of two different pictures.

Not Photograph of Dog Eating Shark as Snakes Mate

The photograph in question appears to show a Dog next to a dead Shark on beach as two Snakes mate on a road just beside them. Some viewers also suggested the ‘unusual incident’ shows Australia summed up in one picture. The ‘critic’ view aside, the incident depicted in the photograph is not even real.

The first photograph dates back to at least August 2012 and in fact shows a Wild Dingo eating a Shark on a beach of Australia. However, the other (below) photograph of Snakes is inserted into the shot cleverly. It shows a rare photograph of two Copperhead Snakes in Australia, when they were either fighting or mating. The snakes’ picture appears to have been taken in February 2012.

To conclude, both the photographs of Dingo eating a dead Shark and two Snakes fighting/mating are from Australia, but come from different places and time period. So, the bizarre story claiming to show a dog/dingo eating shark in Australia as two snakes mate is a hoax. In January 2019, the composite picture appeared on reddit.com – in a post of Photoshop battles. It carried the description – Dog eating shark in Australia while snakes do whatever snakes do.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post Dog Eating Shark in Australia While Snakes Mate, Photograph: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

World’s First Homosexual Couple in Sodom and Gomorrah – Found Dead and Dried.

Other Versions

1. World’s Oldest Homosexual/Gay Couple Found in Ancient Ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah, by Dead Sea

2. Oldest Gay couple’s grave of Sodom and Gomorrah

Fact Check:

A story popular online alleges to show World’s First/Oldest Homosexual/Gay Found Dead and Dried in Ancient Ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Accompanying photograph appears to show the two skeletal remains of the gay couple buried close-together. So, let us examine the veracity of the claims.

World’s First Homosexual Couple Buried Dead?

In the first place, there are no credible news outlets confirming such find about the photograph of the two skeletons lying together inside earth. The claim in question appears in an article on NotAllowedTo website notallowedto.com published on 27th May 2015 with the title “World’s Oldest Gay Couple Found in Ancient Ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah“. We checked, NotAllowedTo website is publishing various humor and satire stories. More importantly, the article is in fact a slightly refurbished version of an article published the previous day on World News Daily News Report website worldnewsdailyreport.com (deleted later).

The origin article on World News Daily News Report website carried the same title mentioning ‘Homosexual’ instead of ‘Gay’. It mentioned about unearthing of two 5,000-year old male skeletons near the city of Tell el Hammeh, in the Southern Jordan River valley. The article also said they could possibly be the world’s oldest known homosexuals in human history. Further, it says the team of researchers of the University of Tel Aviv believes the ruins are the remnants of the Biblical Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The article also points those are the two cities allegedly destroyed by God’s Divine wrath because of the ‘wickedness and obscure practices’ of its population.

Despite all those claims, World News Daily News Report is a well-known website publishing fake, satirical content for the sake of entertainment.

About the Image of Two Skeletons

The image of two skeletal remains in fact shows Sofia Voutsaki’s excavation of ‘Mycenaean Sparta’ in summer of 2013. Hoax fighter and fact finder HoaxEye mentioned about the original image. Sofia Voutsaki is Professor of Greek Archaeology who directed excavations at the Mycenaean site of Agios Vasileios near Sparta. The two skeletons show a Mycenaean burial from a necropolis at Agios Vasileos village in Greece. The photograph rather shows skeletal remains from around 1500 BC – of a Man and a Woman embracing each other. However, Sofia Voutsaki mentions it’s strange the woman is in front and the man behind with knees against each other.

So, the messages claiming to show the photograph shows world’s first homosexual couple found dead in Sodom & Gomorrah are just hoaxes. Note, the image used in the fake news article is a rotated version of the original one to give it a different, gay angle.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

The post World’s First Homosexual Couple Dead in Sodom, Gomorrah: Fact Check appeared first on Hoax Or Fact.

Story:

Parineeti Chopra Removed as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Brand Ambassador thanks to her Anti CAA Tweet

Other Versions

1. Haryana drops Parineeti Chopra as Beti Bachao face after her ‘barbaric’ comment on police

2. Parineeti dropped as face of Haryana’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ after tweeting about CAA

3. (Hindi)

CAA के विरोध के बाद ‘बेटी बचाओ’ कैंपेन से अलग हुईं परिणीति चोपड़ा

Fact Check:

Certain messages viral in India claim Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra was Removed as Beti Bachao Campaign Ambassador After her Anti CAA Tweet. They in fact suggest dropping of the actress from Haryana Government’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ (meaning Save girl Educate girl) campaign. Although popular, the claims are not true and explained here.

About the Claims

The claims in question became popular as the actress Parineeti Chopra shared her response on the police crackdown against the students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University during CAA protests. Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 passed by Parliament of India during winter session turned violent gradually. Students and others involved in protests began pelting stones at police, damaging public property in various places. Later, on 17th December 2019, Parineeti Chopra posted her response on Twitter.

The actress criticized the consequences and said we should pass a bill and not call our country a democracy anymore. Parineeti questioned beating of innocent human beings for speaking their mind and called police action Barbaric. On the other hand, Parineeti’s response met with criticism from many quarters. People started sending her videos of ‘students’ pelting stones at police and also damaging public property among others.

Article on ThePrint Website

On 20th December 2019, ThePrint website theprint.in published an article with title – Haryana drops Parineeti Chopra as Beti Bachao face after her ‘barbaric’ comment on police. Consequently, the claims in question became popular also because earlier, actor Sushant Singh was removed as host from the reality TV crime series “Savdhaan India” on Star Bharat channel. The actor participated in the ongoing protests against Citizenship Amendment Act.

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Story:

A 120-metre (390-foot) giant dragon with a diameter of 1.5 metres jumped out of the water this afternoon, attracting thousands of people.

Other Versions

1. An earthquake took place in Yibin has caused severe debris flow. A 120-meter dragon with a diameter of 1.5 meter jumped out of water at 2pm today, attracting thousands of people. Experts have flown here and said that this dragon has something to do with the earthquake.

2. Biggest snake of the world found

Fact Check:

The unusual picture is doing rounds online alleging to show a 120-metre (390-foot) Giant Dragon Jumped out of Water, attracting thousands of people. It appears to show an enormous black snake coming down from hillside as many people look upon standing by its side. Notably, the photograph also appeared online with claims suggesting an Earthquake in Yibin was caused by the Giant Dragon. No, the claims are not at all true – what you see is just a Photoshop creation.

Giant Dragon Jumped Out of Water?

The photograph in question is doing rounds online with such unusual claims since at least July 2019. It appeared with stories reporting finding of Biggest Snake of the World. Bills Channel also shared the picture on Facebook questioning if the photograph of the enormous snake is real or fake.

While some viewers thought it could be real, others joked it is Godzilla’s pet snake. The story reminds us of a similar and popular story from past claiming to show an Amazing Giant Snake Found in Red Sea. The unusual images in that case came from a student’s graphic project.

Coming back to the story in question, there are no credible news reporting any such giant dragon snake jumped out of water, attracting thousands of people. Then there are some clear signs of photo editing suggesting the snake in the picture is not real. The tail region of the snake is set up right over the people. There’s also a triangle type of formation on its side. So, what you see is in fact a Photoshop picture of snake pasted over the photograph of people, perhaps witnessing a horse race.

Photoshop Image Creator Arrested

The photograph and the story of the snake causing earthquake appeared on Chinese social network Weibo. Despite the poor quality of Photoshop, it created some sort of panic and confusion among certain elderly people in Yibin City of China. Yibun Cyber Police looked into the matter, arrested the suspect Zhang on 3rd July 2019 and put him in detention for spreading rumors. Consequently, Zhang confessed that he “did it just for fun” and also wrote a letter of apology in light of the incident.

Zhang posted the picture and fabricated story to Weibo in the first week of July 2019, following the earthquake in Yibin, Sichuan on June 17.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

Picture of ‘giant snake that caused Yibin earthquake’ lands man in detention

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Story:

Rahul Gandhi Says – Be it NRC or NPR, it is a Tax Imposed on Poor People of India.

Fact Check:

A video doing rounds widely on social media alleges to show Rahul Gandhi saying – Be it NRC or NPR, it is a Tax on Poor people of India. The video also accompanies funny reactions of people laughing as to how the Indian National Congress Party leader can say something like it. Many viewers even wondered if he said it for real or not. The video and the saying of Rahul Gandhi are real.

Rahul Gandhi Calls NRC /NPR a Tax on Poor People

On 27th December 2019, Rahul Gandhi visited Chhattisgarh to open a National Tribal Dance Festival at Raipur. Later he spoke to media persons taking jibe on the BJP government rule. His saying translated into full English:

“Earlier, entire world used to believe China and India are growing fast together economically. Today, in entire world, there’s saying that violence is going on in India..women are not allowed to roam on roads..and unemployment is more than 45 years. But Narendra Modi is not able to explain all this, may be he does not understand what and how all this happened. Earlier, he used to joke around, now he is not able to do the work of a Prime Minister“.

Afterwards, a media person asks Rahul Gandhi about NPR and NRC, What he has to say about them. Rahul Gandhi’s response as he linked them to Demonetization and others:

“See, be it NRC or NPR, it is a Tax on poor people of India. You understand the demonetization? Demonetization was a tax on poor people of India. Go to bank, give money, do not withdraw money from your own account. And whole of that money..goes to those 15-20 people. This is also just the same. Poor people have to go to government officers, show their documents, give bribe in case there’s any mistake in name. Crores of money from poor people will again go into the pockets of those 15 people. This is the truth“.

Likewise, Rahul Gandhi also said NRC or NPR is an attack on poor people, and now they are asking how they will get jobs.

About NRC and NPR

As a matter of fact, the National Population Register (NPR) is a Register of usual residents of the country, including both the citizens and non-citizens. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. The objective of it is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. You can read more about it on Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India website censusindia.gov.in.

On the other hand, The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register of all Indian citizens. It has been implemented for the state of Assam between 2013–2014. The BJP government plans to implement NRC for the rest of India in 2021 along with census.

Response from BJP Member

After the strange comments of Rahul Gandhi on NPR and NCR, Union Minister of BJP, Prakash Javedkar responded to it while speaking to media:

“If there was a category for the liar of the year, he (Rahul) would be its recipient. His comments used to embarrass his family. His lies embarrass his party and the entire country.

Today, Rahul said that NPR is a tax on the poor. NPR is a population register. The information provided by the people is listed in it. From where does tax feature in it? Tax is a culture of the Congress – Jayanti tax, Coal tax, 2G tax, Jija ji tax,” Prakash Javedkar told reporters.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact.

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Story:

Thousands of Sikhs in Punjab Protesting against NRC, No Policemen Present.

Other Versions

(Hindi)

एनआरसी के खिलाफ आज पंजाब में विरोध प्रदर्शन के दौरान कोई भी पुलिसकर्मी मौजूद नहीं था

Fact Check:

A video is circulating widely on social media claiming it shows thousands of Sikhs in Punjab Protesting against NRC and no Policemen present to stop them. The video in fact shows large group of Sikh people holding swords and sticks in their hands, raising various slogans and marching over a bridge. However, the claims as such are not true and explained here.

Not Video of Sikhs Protesting Against NRC

The video over two-minute duration and the claims against National Register of Citizens (NRC) bill is doing rounds on Facebook and Twitter among others. Amidst several protests after passing of Citizenship Amendment Act Bill and proposed NRC, viewers thought the incident portrayed with the video is true. However, the video is an old one not related to protests against NRC or CAA bill.

Punjab Separatist Rally

We found the same video appeared on YouTube in November 2019 with the description: Punjab Separatist Protest – Khalistan 2020 Referendum. Considering it and the slogans raised in the video, it is clear what you see in the video is a pro Khalistan rally in India from past. Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a separate country called Khalistān (The Land of the Khalsa) in the Punjab region, as a homeland for Sikhs. The proposed country would also consist part of Pakistan.

In comment section, the YouTube video uploader mentioned the location of the rally as Beas River Bridge in Indian Punjab. Likewise, we could find the incident in the video is an old one from May 2016. Thousands of Sikh hardliners organized a rally at the Beas Bridge on the National Highway 1, raising slogans against the Shiv Sena and the state government. The rally was conducted challenging Shiv Sena. On the other hand, Police from Amritsar (rural) and Kapurthala made heavy security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident at the time.

So, the claims that the video shows thousands of Sikhs protesting against NRC and no police were present to stop them are just hoaxes. Hindi language Dainik Bhaskar website bhaskar.com also refuted the false claims about the old video. After the introduction of CAA Bill and consequent protests, many fake news ‘reports’ and misinformation are floating around on internet space.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

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Story:

Pieces of Meat Thrown near Shiv Temple in Jharkhand causes outrage among devotees

Other Versions

Beef was thrown into a Shiva temple at Jamtara Jharkhand in India to incite communal violence

(Hindi)

झारखंड के जामताड़ा जिले का शिव मंदिर में गाय काट के फेंक दिया गया है

(Telugu)

జార్ఖండ్ లో బిజెపి ఓడిపోగానే, కొందరు మతం మారిన ద్రోహులు గోమాత ను చంపి ఆ మాంసాన్ని ఓ శివాలయంలో విసిరి పోయారు!!

Fact Check:

Couple of pictures and short videos doing rounds on social media allege to show pieces of Meat Thrown near a Shiv Temple in Jharkhand, India. Allegedly, the prohibited meat was thrown into the Shiva temple at Jamtara Jharkhand to incite communal violence. Some also suggested the incident is an aftermath of BJP losing elections in Jharkhand. The claims are facts with some missing information.

Meat Thrown Near Shiv Temple of Jharkhand

Yes, some miscreants have thrown pieces of prohibited meat inside the premises of Shiv temple following which devotees got angry and resorted to blocking road for hours. The Dukhiya Mahadev Shiv Temple is located in remote area near Barakar river ghat of Karamdaha village in Jharkhand, Bihar. It is on the border area of Dhanbad and Jamtara districts of Jharkhand. Taking advantage of it, some miscreants threw prohibited meat near the temple and ran away. Below is short video from the temple shared on Facebook. This was to provoke religious sentiments of Hindu devotees and perhaps create tensions between Hindus and Muslims.

Locals found the meat in the early morning of Sunday 29th December 2019. In protest of the incident, angry locals blocked the main road between Govindpur and Sahibganj for around four hours. It also lead to traffic jam on nearby highway. Senior police officers had to come to the spot and pacify the angry locals. After police gave them the confidence they will catch the culprits soon, locals turned to peace and cleared the road block.

History of Communal Tension

There’s a history of Hindu-Muslim tension in the Jharkhand area. In Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Elections of 2019, BJP lost in many places. While Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress combined won 25 of the 28 seats, BJP managed to win just two. Therefore, some people mentioned the meat incident inside temple and blamed the citizens of Jharkhand for not voting for BJP.

On the other hand, Police termed the incident a handiwork of some mischievous elements and registered an FIR against unknown people. So, as of this writing, who threw the prohibited meat near Shiv temple in Jharkhand is not known. Jamtara MLA and Congress leader Dr Irfan Ansari criticized the incident strongly and also warned of stringent punishment to whoever did it. He said the new government will take strict actions on any such plots to disturb peace in Jamtara and create tensions among people. He also requested people from both communities to encourage brotherhood and maintain peace. OPIndia website opindia.com also reported the incident.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact with some missing information.

References:

Restricted meat thrown near temple in Karamdaha

Pieces of meat thrown inside Shiva temple, road blocked for 6 hours

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Story:

Christian Symbol Holy Water Pot takes the Place of Kalash in New Official Emblem of AP-Andhra Pradesh..

Other Versions

క్రైస్తవ ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ అధికార చిహ్నంలో పూర్ణకుంభంకి బదులుగా చర్చిలో పవిత్రజలం చల్లే చెంబు
Google it

Fact Check:

A picture message doing rounds online purports to show a Christian Symbol in Place of Kalash in the new official Emblem of AP Andhra Pradesh State, India. It claims to show the Hindu symbol Poorna Kumbam (Kalasha) is replaced with Holy Water Pot used in Christian Churches. No, the claims are not true and explained here.

Not the Christian Symbol in AP Emblem

Holy water font or Stoup is a vessel holding the holy water of Christian faith. It is usually placed near the main door of the Church. Holy water pot is used to sprinkle it on believers. There are different kinds of holy water pots and stoups, some of which may slightly resemble like the Hindu religious symbol of Poorna kumbam or Kalasha. However, what you see in the new official Emblem of AP State is not any Christian symbol.

Official State Emblem of Andhra Pradesh

After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 separating Telangana, AP government finalized its new emblem for official use in mid-November 2018. Notably, the change took place when N. Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief Minister of AP, before Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy took the position in May 2019. Instead of creating a new one, they made some changes to the old Emblem.

They changed the symbol in centre and some styles of ‘Andhra Pradesh’ name written in Telugu, Hindi and English. The new Emblem also had Satyamev Jayate (Truth alone wins) written in Telugu. The issue of new State Emblem of AP came in three colors – multi-color, Blue and Black & White.

Inspired by Amaravati School of Art

The new AP State Emblem was in fact inspired by the Amaravati School of Art. It consists of ‘Dhamma Chakka,’ meaning the Wheel of Law, embellished with a ring of tri-ratnas alternating with pinnate leaves and precious stones. At the hub of Dhamma Chakka is Poorna Gataka (vase of plenty); slightly different from old Poorna Kumbam. Poorna Gataka is decorated with a four banded garland on the main body with medallions and tassels. There’s also a braid around its thin neck and a flaring mouth. To some viewers, this may have appeared like holy water font or pot.

So, a Christian symbol did not take the place of Kalash in new State Emblem of AP, Andhra Pradesh. The messages claiming so are just hoaxes.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

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Story:

A Three Horned Bull or Cow found in Uganda
Wonders never cease!

Other Versions

Ankole long horned cow with Three Horns

Fact Check:

An interesting video is viral online alleging to show a Three Horned Cow Found in Uganda. It appears to have three horns – unusually long – and is described as Ankole long horned cow. So, let us examine the case and try to find out if it is real or not.

Firstly, three horned cattle are not unheard of. For instance, a popular story in past showed an Ox with three horns near a temple in Madhya Pradesh state of India. In that case, the special animal attracted lot of curious visitors and pilgrims during the mela in Ujjain, a popular religious travel place.

Three Horned Ankole Cow in Uganda?

Coming to the story in question, Twitter user Rubabinda Jr shared the interesting video of three horned cow on 28th December 2019. The Urologist and Cattle Keeper & Breeder, according to her Twitter bio, described the unusual cow as a wonder. She has been sharing many pictures and also some videos of Ankole Long-Horned Cattle of Uganda. We contacted her asking information about the cow and its owner, but did not get any response.

After the video went viral, Ankole Cattle Breeders Society said on Twitter it’s a 3 horned cow and they are searching for the owner. Another Twitter user Gümā responded the owner is a parent to his long time friend. NTV Uganda also shared the short video, adding the authenticity of the video is unconfirmed. On the other hand, horns can in fact grow long in some breed of cattle.

About Long-Horned Ankole Cattle

Long-horned Ankole Cattle are quite popular along Western Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, called Watusi Cattle. In the video below, you can get a glimpse of them. Ankole Cattle are part of an ancient culture, traditions and a symbol of status and wealth in Uganda.

Ankole Cattle descended from the Ethiopian Sanga Cattle. Notably, they can survive in harsh conditions and in fact live on meager pasture, not needing much water. Another notable feature is the large size of horns of the animals bred to produce longhorns and colorful skins. The Longhorns also protect Ankole cattle from predators like Lions, Leopards and Hyenas. Visitors to Uganda and Rwanda are often amazed by the sight of the range and size of Ankole Cattle Horns.

So, as of this writing, the authenticity of the video showing a Three Horned Ankole Cow from Uganda is not known. The video is only 12 seconds long and the origin and purpose of sharing it is not known. We will update when more information on the cow and video is available. Although rare, Cattle are sometimes born with three or even four horns as part of birth defect.

Hoax or Fact:

Undetermined.

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Story:

Rare Photograph of Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi Dance when she was working in a Bar

Other Versions

(Hindi)

ये दुर्लभ फोटो सोनिया गाँधी की हैं जब वो डांस बार में काम करती थी

Fact Check:

A picture message is in circulation online alleging to show a Rare Photograph of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi Dance when she was working in a Bar. The story doing rounds on image sharing websites and social media platforms from many days purports to show the former President of Indian National Congress party in a beachwear skirt. No, the claims are not true and explained here.

Not Photograph of Sonia Gandhi Dance in Bar

The woman you see dancing in the photograph is not Sonia Gandhi – it is a Photoshop creation. The photograph originally shows Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe on the set of the 1955 TCF film, The Seven Year Itch. The photograph in fact shows a skirt blowing scene of Marilyn Monroe on the movie sets. Face of Sonia Gandhi is added in place of the actress.

The photograph is sometimes used in photo editing, changing faces – to create funny meme messages online. Apart from individuals, we have also seen Photoshop pictures replacing with faces of other celebrities.

Sonia Gandhi Sitting on Lap of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Photograph

We have also come across another popular picture message online alleging to show Sonia Gandhi sitting on the lap of former Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Again, the picture is a Photoshop creation. The original photograph shows Sonia Gandhi sitting on another chair at a distance. The March 2005 photograph comes from a meeting in New Delhi when then President of the Republic of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom talks with Chairperson of India’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi.

Using some Photoshop editing tool, some miscreants lifted Sonia Gandhi image from chair and put it on the lap of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, family and qualification have been a subject of controversy and debate in Indian politics. According to The Times’ website thetimes.co.uk of London, Sonia Gandhi was an 18-year-old student at a small language college in Cambridge in 1965. To meet her ends meet, she was working as a waitress in the Varsity restaurant. It was then she met Rajiv Gandhi, a young Engineering student. Sonia Gandhi joined politics in 1997 amidst requests from Congress party members after the demise of her husband Rajiv Gandhi, assassinated in 1991.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

‘From waitress to world leader’

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Story:

Abduction, Forced Conversion & Marriage of a Hindu Minor Girl in Pakistan:

This 9 year old is from Sindh, Pakistan. She was forcefully got abducted, converted to Islam & later married to a man aged to Her Father!

Situation of Hindus in Pak is equal to hell!

& No outrage in the news channels!

This is the reason India implementing CAB.

Fact Check:

A picture message doing rounds on social media claims to describe a case of Abduction, Forced Conversion & Marriage of Hindu Minor Girl in Pakistan. It claims to show the 9-year-old from Sindh abducted, converted to Islam & later married to a man at least 4-5 times older than her. Accompanying messages claim such is the situation of Hindus in Pakistan and there’s no outrage in news channels. They also say this is the reason India is implementing Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2019. The claims discussed here in detail are mixture of hoax and facts.

About the Incident Reported in Pakistan

The picture of the minor girl and the man 4-5 times older than her is real. On 3rd May 2019, Mohammad Somar was arrested after Nikkah (marriage contract) with the 10-year-old-girl before they were leaving. The incident happened in a village of Shikarpur area of Sindh province in Pakistan. Mohammad Somar confessed to media on paying the girl’s grandmother 250,000 Pakistani rupees for the wedding. When questioned the girl is minor, the man says grandmother of the girl had told him the girl is grown up.

Additional Inspector General of Police of Sukkur Region, Jamil Ahmed also tweeted about the unfortunate incident. He said Police saved the life of the 10 year old innocent girl.

Was it Abduction, Forced Conversion & Marriage of a Hindu Girl?

At the time of the arrest, the marriage officiator and people related to the girl (parents) fled from the scene. The grandmother and the crying minor girl were taken into police custody. The girl was sent to Women Protection Cell of Shikarpur. According to Police, both accused and the family of the young girl were being prosecuted. So, it is unclear whether the child was abducted in the first place. However, in a video showing a media person questioning the grandmother, looks like she calls the girl – Saraswati – a Hindu name.

On the other hand, aforementioned IGP and a report on Dawn News website dawnnews.tv name the 10 year old girl Malooka Sheikh (Guddi). There are no credible reports suggesting the girl was Hindu and religious conversion to Islam has taken place before the child marriage. Authenticity of that particular angle and claim is unclear. However, the incident of child marriage was popular in Pakistan and became the centre of discussion in TV debates at the time. It’s also because earlier in April 2019, the National Assembly of Pakistan had referred the bill to amend the child marriage restraint act 1929 and set 18 years of age for marriage of a girl.

India Implementing Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB)

The part of the claim saying India is implementing Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) citing religious persecution of Hindu minorities in neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is a fact. The bill in fact aims to provide relief to some of those minority people – Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Buddhists and Jains. Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh explained the same, adding the amended Citizenship Act is not anti-Muslim.

About Abductions, Forceful Conversions & Marriages in Pakistan

Hindus are in fact the largest religious minority in Pakistan, concentrated more in the Southern Province of Sindh. Most of the Hindu minorities in Sindh do not have access to proper education, health or even basic amenities. They mostly work in agricultural fields of their landlords as bonded labor, becoming vulnerable to sexual harassment of Muslim men. Dalits are still treated untouchables and forced into low-status jobs that many Muslims refuse to take, like sweeping streets and sewage cleaning. The Hindus and other religious minority people are not treated well and forced to convert quite often. There are also many cases of rape on minor Hindu girls. In some places, Muslim majority landlords occupy Hindu lands in land mafia. All these factors create fear and insecurity among Hindus in Pakistan. Consequently, they plan to migrate to other countries.

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