A few days ago, a news report claimed that a Muslim man named Altaf killed in a bike accident was actually lynched by a Hindu mob in Madhubani, Bihar. The report alleged that Altaf was attacked by the mob for riding a bike without a helmet and that the police did not take any action against the perpetrators. The report also shared some graphic images of Altaf’s body and his bike to support its claim. The report was widely circulated on social media platforms and some propaganda accounts used it to incite communal hatred and violence in the region.
The news report claiming that Altaf was lynched by a Hindu mob in Madhubani was shared by many on social media but the main ones being @Millat_Times, @s_afreen7, @007AliSohrab, @KashifArsalaan, @TheMuslim786, @Tanvirpost and @azizkavish. These accounts have a history of spreading fake news that serves their narratives.
The Truth about the Madhubani Bike Accident
However, a fact-check revealed that the news report was false and misleading. The truth is that Altaf died in a road bike accident in Madhubani and not in a mob lynching. According to the police, Altaf, along with his friend Mysore Ansari, was riding a bike without a helmet at Kanharpatti village, under the Harlakhi police station in District Madhubani, on October 2, 2023. He collided with another motorcyclist who was coming from the opposite direction at high speed. Due to this, Altaf suffered serious injuries on his head and body. He was admitted to the hospital by the villagers for treatment. Altaf died on October 5, 2023, during treatment in Patna. His friend Mysore Ansari also sustained injuries but survived.
The police have registered a case of accidental death and are investigating the matter. The police have also clarified that there was no communal angle involved in the incident and that it had nothing to do with religion or mob lynching. The police have also appealed to the public not to fall prey to any rumours or misinformation spread by some vested interests.
The Madhubani Police also tweeted about the incident on October 6, 2023, and provided an updated report related to the rumour of mob lynching. The tweet stated that based on an application by Mohd. Ansarul Ansari, a case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the investigation revealed that it was a case of road accident and not mob lynching.
मधुबनी जिला के हरलाखी थाना अन्तर्गत दिनांक-01.10.2023 को हुई घटना के संदर्भ में माॅब लिचिंग के अफवाह से संबंधित अद्यतन प्रतिवेदन#BiharPolice @bihar_police @IPRD_Bihar @BiharHomeDept pic.twitter.com/cMc7hc1QZj
— Madhubani Police (@MadhubaniPol) October 6, 2023
Conclusion
Therefore, it is clear that the news report claiming that Altaf was lynched by a Hindu mob in Madhubani was false and misleading. It was a case of road accidents and not mob lynching. The report was intended to create communal disharmony and unrest in the region. Following a precise analysis and fact-checking, our team has reviewed the claim. You can refer to the findings of this inquiry in the Twitter thread below.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) October 7, 2023
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: News has been shared claiming that a man named Altaf was beaten to death by a Hindu mob in Madhubani, Bihar. The fact is that according to the police, Mohd. Altaf Ansari, Mysore Ansari was riding a bike without helmet at Kanharpatti village, (1/3) pic.twitter.com/WXP3pLdozO
Claim: A Muslim man named Altaf was lynched by a Hindu mob in Madhubani, Bihar for riding a bike without a helmet.
Fact: Altaf died in a road bike accident in Madhubani and not in a mob lynching. There was no communal angle involved in the incident.
