3 months ago
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An old video from Hyderabad showing police go door-to-door and detaining several youth is being shared falsely claiming it shows police arresting those responsible for the recent communal clashes in Mira Road in Thane district, a suburb north of Mumbai.
In the run up to the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on January 22, 2024, clashes broke out in Mira Road's Naya Nagar area over an attack on a Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha procession on the night of January 21, 2024. Locals alleged the procession indulged into provocative religious sloganeering. Several videos emerged on social media showing people from both communities clashing on the road, with some videos showing right-wing activists beating up Muslim shopkeepers. The police has subsequently arrested 19 people in connection with the incident. The situation continued to remain tense after the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation on January 23, citing illegal encroachment, bulldozed 15 shops at the Haidary Chowk in Naya Nagar area where the clashes had taken place.
In the viral video, a group of policemen with lathis can be seen entering houses and making arrests. The video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the handle (@JIX5A) with the caption, "Why do I feel instant gratification? Do you feel the same? #MiraRoad #JusticeServed"
BOOM has previously fact-checked misinformation posted by the same verified X account.
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The same video is being shared on Facebook with the caption in Hindi, when translated reads, "On January 22, during the Shobha Yatra of Shri Ramji in Mira Road, the Jihadis, who snatched saffron and insulted women and car-riding procession lovers, were selectively searched and taken out of the house and taken to the police station."
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The video is being shared on X in Marathi with the caption when translated reads, "They entered the house and beat them, overnight in Mira Bhayandar#Bulldozer #MiraRaod #Maharashtra"
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BOOM also received the viral video on our WhatsApp tipline number (+91 77009 06588), with an audio voice message claiming it is from Mira Road. We also received another video falsely claiming that it showed Mira Road station burning, read our fact-check on it below.
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral video is from August 2022, when Hyderabad police arrested several people for protesting against the release of BJP MLA T Raja Singh who was arrested for his offensive remarks against Prophet Mohammed.
BOOM had fact-checked the same video back in April 2023, when it was being shared with the false claim that it shows the arrests of several people in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (earlier Aurangabad), Maharashtra after clashes broke out on Ram Navami.
We had found several news reports on the incident, including a video uploaded by The News Minute on August 25, 2022, with the title, "Protesters demand BJP MLA Raja Singh's arrest in Hyderabad." The portion of the video beginning from 1:48 is a match to our viral video.
Singh was arrested on August 22, 2022 for his derogatory remarks against the Prophet, but was released soon due to a procedural mistake made by the police. Following his release, protesters took to the streets of Old City in Hyderabad to demand his arrest. Paramilitary forces and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed along with the police to contain the crowd.
Fresh protests erupted in Charminar, Shalibanda, Moghalpura, Khilwat, and other areas of the city after Singh was released. The police also resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd outside Nampally court where Singh was being produced reported The Indian Express on August 24, 2022.
