WebQoof Recap: Bathinda Military Station Firing, Asad Ahmed's Encounter & More

Here's a recap of some of the most viral misinformation. 

(Source: The Quint)

From misinformation around the death of four Indian Army personnel at the Bathinda Military Station to misidentifying gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's younger son Ali Ahmed as Asad Ahmed, who was killed in a police encounter, here's a recap of some of the most viral misinformation. 

1. Photo of Atiq Ahmed’s Younger Son Ali Ahmed Incorrectly Shared as One of Asad

Several media organisations shared a photograph of a man and one of gangster-turned politician Atiq Ahmed, claiming that it showed Ahmed's son Asad Ahmed, who was killed in a police encounter on Thursday.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

(Source: The Times of India/Screenshot)

But the photo actually shows Ali Ahmed, one of Atiq Ahmed's younger sons. Ali was imprisoned for a 2021 extortion case at Naini Central Jail in UP's Prayagraj.

Read our fact-check here.

2. Did Presidency College Organise Iftar Party But Didn't Allow Saraswati Puja? No!

A set of two images showing people breaking their fast during an 'iftar party' is going viral with a claim that this party was organised at Presidency University in Kolkata, where Saraswati Puja celebrations were not permitted.

But we found that the claim is misleading.

• This Iftar party was held at Eden Hindu Hostel, Kolkata and not at Presidency University's campus.

• The hostel also celebrates and organises Saraswati Puja on the same ground.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. Image of Julian Assange in Prison Is Not Real But AI-Generated!

An image showing a close-up of an exhausted man is being shared with a claim that it shows Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The claim points out that Assange is in terrible condition in prison.

But this image has been generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on an AI art tool, Midjourney.

You can read our fact-check here.

4. What is the Global Country of World Peace – a ‘Borderless Hindu Country’?

A 55-seconds long video talking about the Global Country of World Peace (GCWP), which calls itself a “borderless Hindu country” located in the USA's Iowa has gone viral on social media.

The clip says that GCWP is currently led by one Tony Nader, a neuroscientist and researcher. Read our full story here or watch the video below to find out the truth.

As per their website, the GCWP is a “consortium of educational organisations” headquartered in a village called Vlodrop in the Netherlands. It mentions a city in Iowa, USA called the Maharishi Vedic City with its own by-laws but does not call the consortium a country.

5. Were Four Men From '18 Horse Regiment' Killed in Bathinda Military Station?

Four personnel of the Indian Army were killed in their sleep at the Bathinda Military Station on Wednesday, 12 April by unidentified assailants.

A message by a Twitter blue tick user "Saffron Diaries" started doing the rounds to claim that "a Sikh soldier allegedly killed four Hindu soldiers belonging to the 18 Horse Regiment."

An archived version of the tweet can be seen here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

But to begin with, there is no "18 Horse Regiment" in the Indian Army. 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 [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)