From a misleading video on the number of attendees at Haridwar's Kumbh Mela amid COVID surge to misinformation around the West Bengal Assembly Elections, here’s a round-up of all that misled the public this week.
1. Misleading Video From Haridwar Viral as ‘Ground Reality of Kumbh’
A video seemingly filmed on a flyover in Uttarakhand's Haridwar – in which a person can be heard saying that roads in the city are deserted with no human in sight – is being shared on social media to claim that it busts the claim of the Kumbh Mela being a potential “super spreader” of COVID-19.
The Quint analysed the said video and we found that it was shot approximately six kilometres away from the place where the holy dip takes place – the Har Ki Pauri Ghat.
Further, several news reports estimate that approximately 31 lakh people are attending the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar.
You can read the full story here.
2. No, This CISF Personnel Wasn’t Injured During West Bengal Polling
A photo of an injured Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel is being shared by many, including leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to claim that the personnel was hurt during the fourth phase of polling in West Bengal which took place on Saturday, 10 April.
You can view the archived version here.
(Photo: Twitter/ Screenshot/ Altered by The Quint)
CISF sources told The Quint’s WebQoof team that the incident took place in BCCL Dhanbad when a langur had attacked an ASI on 9 April and that it has got nothing to do with the incident that happened in West Bengal.
You can read the full story here.
3. Shooting Scene From a Web Series Passed Off as ‘Murder’ in Karnal
A video of a cop shooting a man and a woman at the entrance of a mall is being shared as a real incident. But the ‘murder’ was actually a part of a web series’ shooting in Haryana’s Karnal.
Sub-Inspector Dharam Pal at the Model Town Police Station in Karnal confirmed to The Quint’s WebQoof team that the incident wasn’t real. We also spoke to one of the actors and the cafe owner, who, too, confirmed that the video was from a shooting.
An archived version of the post can be seen here.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
You can read the full story here.
4. Video of Man Stabbing Wife in Delhi Viral With False Communal Spin
A CCTV footage in which a man can be seen stabbing a woman multiple times in public is being shared on social media with a claim that the woman was attacked because she was against ‘Love Jihad’, thus insinuating that the man is a Muslim.
An archived version of the post can be accessed here.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
Speaking to The Quint’s WebQoof team, a spokesperson from Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rohini, Pramod Mishra's office rubbished the claims around ‘Love Jihad’ being shared online in connection with the video.
The spokesperson stated that there is no communal angle to the incident and the man stabbed his wife on suspicion of infidelity.
Further, both the accused and the victim belong to the same community.
You can read the full story here.
5. Amit Shah’s Image Edited to Claim He Visited Sonagachi Area in WB
An image of Home Minister Amit Shah campaigning in the poll-bound West Bengal has been edited to falsely claim that he visited Kolkata's red light area Sonagachi.
The original image doesn't contain the 'address' with the word 'Sonagachi' and was taken during Shah's door-to-door campaign in Bhabanipur for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
You can view an archived version here.
(Photo: Facebook/Screenshot)
You can read the full story here.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
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