A short video of a woman hitting and spitting on police personnel is being widely shared on social media, with the claim that it shows journalist and activist Teesta Setalvad misbehaving with the police during her arrest on 26 June.
Setalvad was detained at her Mumbai residence by Gujarat Crime Branch officials on 25 June, a day after the Supreme Court quashed Zakia Jafri's petition challenging the clean chit given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Her detainment came shortly after Home Minister Amit Shah's interview, in which he lauded the apex court's decision, while accusing Setalvad of "exploiting" Jafri's emotions and giving "baseless information about the riots to the police."
Shah also claimed that there had been no riots in Gujarat since 2002.
Setalvad was subsequently charged with forgery, fabricating evidence, and criminal conspiracy.
However, we found that the video shows All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) acting president Netta D'Souza reportedly spitting on police personnel from a bus during a protest that happened in the national capital on 21 June.
Congress workers had gathered to protest against the Enforcement Directorate's questioning of party leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money-laundering case.
CLAIM
The video is being shared to claim that it shows journalist and activist Teesta Setalvad misbehaving with police personnel.
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(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
We carried out a Google keyword search for videos of an arrested woman spitting on police. Under the 'Videos' section on Google, we came across a News18 article that carried the viral video.
The article's headline mentioned that it showed the Mahila Congress president spitting on police personnel, identifying her as Netta D'Souza in the photo's caption.
The report identifies the woman as Netta D'Souza.
(Source: News18/Altered by The Quint)
It elaborated that D'Souza assaulted and spat on police personnel while detaining Congress party workers and leaders who were protesting the Enforcement Directorate's questioning of party leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money-laundering case.
Using relevant keywords, we looked for more reports on D'Souza's detainment and came across a video on The Economic Times' verified YouTube channel, which carried the viral video.
In the report, D'Souza told the reporter that she was "brutally assaulted" and was trying to spit out mud and hair from her mouth, before sitting in the bus, and that she respects and loves the army.
News organisations NDTV and The Print also carried videos of D'Souza spitting on the police in their reports on the incident.
Speaking to news agency IANS, Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda said that a criminal case had been registered against D'Souza for obstructing and assaulting police personnel on duty, according to a Business Standard report.
Evidently, that is not journalist-activist Teesta Setalvad spitting on police personnel in the video.
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