UP Scribe Killed for Speaking About Kumbh? No, Video is Unrelated

We found that the video is from an unrelated case when one Neelu Mehta was stabbed to death in Delhi on 10 April.

A viral video falsely claims to show murder of journalist Pragya Mishra in broad daylight for speaking about Kumbh mela amid coronavirus pandemic.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A viral video, along with a picture of a wounded woman lying on the road, is being shared on social media to claim that it shows the murder of journalist Pragya Mishra in broad daylight for speaking about Kumbh mela amid coronavirus pandemic.

However, we found that the video and the pictures are an incident which took place in Delhi on 10 April when one Neelu Mehta was brutally stabbed to death by her husband. Further, Mishra took to Twitter to clarify that the claim was “a rumour.”

CLAIM

The claim shared along with the video reads: “Pragya mishra murdered in [b]road daylight.
Because she was talking in news about kumbh mela in the era of cor[o]navirus. (sic)”

(Note: The Quint has not added the video due to the graphic nature of the visuals.)

You can view an archived version here.(Source: Facebook/ Screenshot)

Several social media users shared the visuals with the same claim on Facebook and Twitter. We have refrained from adding more links due to the graphic nature of the content.

The Quint received various queries on the claim being made in the viral video on its WhatsApp tipline as well.

(Source: WhatsApp/The Quint)

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

We came across a tweet shared by journalist Pragya Mishra in which she stated that she is safe and is at home due to COVID-19 protocol. “The news about my murder is a rumour,” she added.

(Photo: Twitter/ Screenshot/ Altered by The Quint)

WHERE ARE THE VIRAL VISUALS FROM?

The Quint’s WebQoof team had earlier debunked another claim that was being shared along with the viral video wherein social media users had given the incident a communal angle.

The viral video pertains to murder of 44-year-old Neelu Mehta that took place in Delhi on 10 April. She was stabbed to death by the accused, her husband Harish Mehta, in broad daylight reportedly on suspicion of infidelity.

We had earlier reached out to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rohini – Pramod Mishra. Speaking to The Quint’s WebQoof team, spokesperson from his office said:

“Both accused and the victim belong to the same communities and there is no communal angle to the incident. The couple had a fight at home, subsequently the man took his wife outside the house and stabbed her multiple times.”

Office of DCP Pramod Mishra

And the picture which is being circulated is also from the same incident. The Quint’s reporter Aishwarya Iyer had reported on the incident and she confirmed with neighbours, eyewitnesses and the police that the CCTV footage and the pictures were of the same incident. Our report on the same can be read here.

Evidently, visuals of an unrelated incident in Delhi were shared with the false claim that they show journalist Pragya Mishra being murdered for speaking about Kumbh Mela amid COVID-19 pandemic.

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