CLAIM
A viral message on social media claims that a 19-year-old boy Shivu Uppar was murdered and hanged at Bagewadi bus stand in Belagavi, Karnataka. The message further alleges that he was murdered because he was protecting cows from cow smugglers.
The claim was shared by Shobha Karandlaje, a BJP MP from Karnataka, on Twitter and was retweeted over 3,000 times by the time this article was written.
Several social media users including BJP leader CT Ravi shared the viral message on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The claims made in the viral message are false. The 19-year-old boy was not murdered for protecting cows from cow smugglers. Rather, it is a case of suicide which was confirmed in the post-mortem report.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
BS Lokesh Kumar, Belagavi Police Commissioner, told The Quint, “The post-mortem report does not suggest any case of assault. It’s a clear case of suicide. I request people to not believe and share any rumours about the incident that are being posted on social media.”
Further, Suresh Angadi, BJP MP from Belagavi, who had earlier tweeted on similar lines as Karandlaje and CT Ravi, deleted his own tweet about the incident, reported The News Minute.
He clarified on Twitter that the post-mortem report has confirmed that the incident was a case of suicide and not murder.
TWO ARRESTED FOR SPREADING FAKE NEWS
According to The News Minute report, police officers in Belagavi’s Gokak have arrested two people namely Arjun MB and Fakeerappa Ramesh Talawar for posting fake news about the incident on Facebook. They were among the many people who had shared false claims about Shivu’s death on social media."These two had posted fake news on Facebook about the death of the young man in Belagavi so we have arrested them," a police officer from Gokak police station told TNM.
The duo has been charged under the following sections: 153(a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), and 505 (2) (publishing or circulating statement with intent of mischief, creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes).
"We are investigating the incident and we will also take action against those who spread false messages about this," Lokesh further told the news website.
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