A morphed image of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra dancing at a function with history-sheeter Vikas Dubey, who was killed in a police encounter on 10 July, is doing the rounds on social media.
THE CLAIM
The claim along with the image reads: “सम्बित पात्रा के साथ डांस करते विकास दुबे बड़ी मुश्किल से मिला है यह फोटो” [Translation: Accessed this photograph of Sambit Patra dancing with Vikas Dubey after great difficulty.]
The image is being massively circulated on Facebook and Twitter with the same misleading claim.
WHAT WE FOUND
A simple look at the image raised some red flags regarding its authenticity. The proportion of Sambit Patra’s face as compared to his body looked absurd and we suspected that it might’ve been tampered with.
A reverse image search using Google helped us find news reports by several outlets including NDTV, Amar Ujala and ABP Bihar, carrying the original image which had somebody else instead of Patra dancing alongside Dubey.
Here’s a comparison of the two images.
As illustrated, the viral image showing Sambit Patra dancing alongside Vikas Dubey has been tampered with.
This isn’t the first time that a fake image went viral to show Dubey with a politician. Earlier, an image of a local BJP leader from Kanpur with Yogi Adityanath was circulated on social media with a claim that it shows the UP chief minister alongside Dubey. The claim was debunked by The Quint.
Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey was killed in an alleged encounter early on Friday, 10 July. He was the prime accused in the ambush in Kanpur that left eight cops dead.
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