From an old video of a crocodile spotted in a residential area shared as recent one from Haryana to the case of Bengaluru double murder being given a false communal spin, here are some of the most viral misleading claims from this week.
1. Old Video of Crocodile Spotted in Madhya Pradesh Shared as One From Haryana
As several areas of North India are currently experiencing floods, a video of a crocodile swimming in a water-logged residential area was shared to claim that it was spotted in Haryana's Ambala.
However, we found that the video could be traced back to August 2022 and was recorded in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district. Watch our video below for more details.
Read our fact-check here.
2. Fact-Check: False Communal Claims About Bengaluru Double Murder Go Viral
After the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a private company Vinu Kumar and its managing director (MD) Phanindra Subramanyam were killed in Karnataka's Bengaluru, several users gave a false communal spin to the incident.
National Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunil Deodhar (archive here) shared a picture of Subramanyam claiming that Subramanyam was a "Hindu seer."
Team WebQoof found that the victim, Subramanyam, was being misidentified as a Hindu seer and the incident was given a false communal colour.
Speaking to The Quint, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North-East Laxmi Prasad confirmed that the incident had no communal angle.
Several news reports and the police's preliminary investigation revealed that the motive behind the attack was a business dispute.
Read our full story here.
3. Fake Letter Viral Claiming ITLF Apologised to Kuki-Zo For Conflict in Manipur
News agency Asian News International (ANI) and media outlets such as Times of India and India Today North East published a report on a letter claiming that the Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum (ITLF) extended an apology to the Kuki-Zo community.
The ITLF is a conglomerate of several tribal groups in Manipur. The reason for the apology was shared as "misguidance and and conflict with Meitei people" in Manipur.
But here's the twist, the letter going viral has been altered. The Quint reached out to Ginza Vualzong, ITLF spokesperson, who refuted the viral claim and called the viral letter fake.
Read our fact-check here.
4. Fact-Check: Was the Victim in MP Urination Case Not Dashmat Rawat?
Madhya Pradesh Congress shared a video of Dashmat Rawat on their official Twitter handle, claiming that he was not the victim of the urination case that happened in the state's Sidhi district.
The caption along the video targeted the state's Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
However, the video was clipped and was being shared with a misleading context.
Rawat's wife Asha confirmed to The Quint that it was her husband that can be seen in the viral clip.
Local authorities also clarified that the victim was identified as Rawat.
Watch our video below for all the details.
Read our full story here.
5. Video Shows Building on Fire in the Philippines, Not Sweden or France
A video that showed a huge building on fire went viral on the internet with two misleading claims.
While the first claim stated that it shows the Alcazar Library in France's Marseille on fire, the second one said that it shows the Sweden's presidential palace "suddenly" catching fire.
But the video could be traced back to May and shows a 100-year-old post office building in the capital of the Philippines on fire
Read our fact-check 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.)