2020 Mob Lynching Video From MP's Dhar Falsely Shared as From UP
The video is from 2020 when one person was lynched by a mob in MP's Dhar district due to child-lifting rumours.
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(Trigger Warning: Description of the incident, given its heinous nature, can be triggering for some readers.)
A 1:10-minute video clip of a mob lynching incident is being shared by several social media users with a claim that the incident took place in Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh where a mob killed a Muslim man.
The claim is being shared in the backdrop of an incident from Kaushambi district where one Zafar Alam from Asrauli village, was lynched by a mob on Monday, 21 March, while his elder brother Noor Alam is in critical condition.
The incident took place when they were allegedly trying to flee after opening fire at the mob, according to news reports.
However, we found that this video that is being shared, is from 2020 when a person was lynched, and six others were injured, over child-lifting rumours, in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district.
CLAIM
The claim along with the video in Hindi reads, "हिन्दू संगठन के भिड़ ने 2 मुस्लिम युवकों की बेरहमी से लिंचिंग करदी, एक कि मौके पर मौत हो गई मरने वाले का नाम जफर बताया जा रहा हैं, घटना कौशाम्बी की भीड़ ने जफर को जान से मार दिया दूसरे की हालत नाजुक बताई जा रही है।"
[Translation: A mob comprising of members of a Hindu organisation lynched two Muslim youths in Kaushambi. While the deceased is identified as one named Zafar, the condition of the other is said to be critical.]
The video posted on 22 March has over 50,000 views at the time of writing this article.
(Warning: We have refrained from including any links to the video due to the distressing nature of the visuals.)
The video is shared across social media platforms.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
WHAT WE FOUND
We fragmented the video into multiple keyframes using InVid WeVerify Google Chrome extension and followed it up with a reverse search.
This led us to a report published on a portal called The Federal on 5 February 2020.
The report read that a man was lynched in Madhya Pradesh and six were hurt, over rumours of them being child kidnappers.
Taking cue from here, we searched for news reports and found a report by The Times of India, which carried the same visuals.
The story was published on 5 February 2020.
(Source: Times of India/Screenshot)
The Quint, too, had reported on the incident. Twenty-five people were arrested in connection with the lynching case that was primarily caused due to an altercation over monetary dispute between the victims, who were all farmers from Ujjain, and labour contractors.
However, as the dispute ensued, rumours of them being child-lifters also started doing the rounds, and their vehicle was stopped by a mob of around 200 people and were thrashed, leading to one death.
KAUSHAMBI POLICE CLARIFIES THE VIDEO IS FROM 2020
We also found a tweet on the official Twitter handle of Kaushambi Police, clarifying that the video is from 2020, and the video was from Dhar district.
Further, in a tweet by Kaushambi police, a press release read that incident from 21 March in Asrauli took place due to a love affair and wasn't a mob lynching incident.
Police said that Zafar had opened fire at the villagers when he had gone to Mirpur village to meet a girl, following which people attacked him.
Later, his brother Noor also opened fire and fought with the villagers, when both the brothers were attacked, leaving one dead and other critically injured.
A press note by Kaushambi police.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
Clearly, a mob lynching video from Dhar district in MP is being shared falsely claiming that the incident is a recent one from Kaushambi.
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