From social media users giving a false communal angle to the case of a woman's body found inside a suitcase in Gurugram, to several fabricated screenshots about 'AAP wining the Gujarat election' doing the rounds. Here's a recap of top five pieces of misinformation that went viral on the internet this week.
1. Gurugram: Video Showing Woman's Dead Body in Suitcase Given False Communal Spin
A video, which shows police personnel searching a suitcase and finding a woman's body inside it, went viral on the internet with a claim that the woman belonged to the Hindu community, who was killed by a Muslim man.
The location of the incident was also identified in the caption of the video as IFFCO Chowk in Gurugram, Haryana.
However, we found there was no communal angle to the incident. We reached out to the Gurugram Assistant Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Preet Pal Singh, who told The Quint that both the accused and deceased belonged to the same community.
The claim of the incident having a communal angle is false.
(Source: The Quint)
We accessed a copy of the press note, which identified the two as Priyanka and Rahul.
Read our fact-check here.
2. Fabricated India TV Graphic Predicting AAP's Win in Gujarat Polls Goes Viral
A graphic purportedly predicting the results of the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections is being shared on social media with a claim that it was based on a poll conducted by the Hindi news channel India TV.
The graphic showed Aam Aadmi Party winning the elections with a majority of 98 seats out of the total 182 seats.
However, we found that the claim was false and the graphic was fabricated. The original infographic showed the results of an opinion poll conducted by India TV for the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the state Assembly elections in 2022.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
Read our fact-check here.
3. Congress, BJP Leaders Share Old Image as That of Helicopter Crash in Uttarakhand
Several verified social media accounts that are associated with the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared a picture of a helicopter exploding mid-air, linking it to the recent helicopter crash near Kedarnath, Uttrakhand on 18 October.
The picture was shared after the chopper flying from Guptkashi to Kedarnath crashed, and all seven people, including two pilots who were on board were reported to have been killed in the crash.
However, we found that the picture was unrelated and did not show visuals of the recent crash. It has been on the internet since March 2015. We also found a stock image of a helicopter, which is not on fire, dating back to September 2012, resembling the viral image.
Read our fact-check here.
4. These Videos of Overcrowded Trains Are Being Falsely Linked to UPSSSC PET
Two videos, which showed overcrowded trains, were being shared on social media platforms with a claim that these videos are from Uttar Pradesh and showed aspirants travelling for their Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission Preliminary Eligibility Test (UPSSSC PET) examinations.
The examination took place on 15 and 16 October, which saw students in huge numbers struggling to reach their allotted centres due to transportation issues.
However, we found that the first video was from Bangladesh and dates back to 2018, and the second one could be traced back to at least 2016.
We found that the claim of these videos being related to the recent UPSSSC PET exams was false.
(Source: The Quint)
Read our fact-check here.
5. Old, Unrelated Images Shared as 'Crowd at Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ballari'
A collage of two pictures was going viral on the internet with a claim that it showed the crowd at Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra in the Ballari district of Karnataka.
The Congress party held a huge public rally in the district on 15 October to mark the 1,000 kilometre milestone of the yatra, which was started in September to reach out to the people ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
However, we found that the pictures were not related to the yatra. While the first image could be traced back to at least 2010 and is probably from Nigeria, the second image is from a Congress event from 2021 held in Telangana.
Read our fact-check here.
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