A video circulating online depicts several people assaulting a man on the road and forcing him to chant religious slogans. It has been misrepresented as a recent incident where a bearded Muslim youth was coerced into chanting “Jai Shri Ram” by a mob and subsequently beaten. However, D-Intent Data has found that this is an old video from May 2022 and features Irfan Khan, who was attacked by the family of a girl he was accused of stalking and harassing in Delhi. Later, Irfan Khan was arrested by Delhi police under the POCSO Act.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) propagandist account @iamharunkhan wrote. “A bearded Muslim youth was forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” by a mob and beaten up. Later, he deleted the post.
Another propaganda account @realwajidkhan has also shared the video and wrote. “Hindutva zombies are forcing an old Muslim man to chant JSR. Do these terrorists have the freedom to spread religious terrorism in India?” (Translated from Hindi)
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also shared the video and made similar communal claims. Their posts can be seen here, @chandnii__, @faizulhaque95, @PREMIUMERZA, @drmehedih
The truth about the viral video, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video of a man being assaulted on a road came to our notice, we conducted research and analysis of the video and found that it was an old incident from Delhi where the man was thrashed for stalking and harassing a minor girl in May 2022.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed relevant keyword research on Google and found some media reports regarding the viral video. According to the media reports(1, 2). Aman was attacked in broad daylight in a Delhi neighbourhood after allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl on her way to tuition. The man was beaten with stones and sticks by a group of men but was rescued by a patrolling officer and later arrested.
Based on the girl’s complaint, a case was registered against Khan under stalking charges and sections of the POCSO Act. Khan was sent to judicial custody. The incident took place on May 7. The minor had complained to her family that Khan was stalking her on her way to attend her tuition class. On May 7, her parents offered to drop her off. During research, we found that the same video was circulated with similar false communal claims in May 2022 as well.
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the viral video was old and the entire incident had nothing to do with religious hate crime.
Intent
Propagandists and extremists are circulating old videos with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim– Recent video shows a Muslim man being beaten in a religious hate crime
Fact– This is an old video from Delhi where the man was caught and beaten up for stalking and harassing a minor girl in May 2022.
Related Article: Fact Check: Old video of Pakistani boy being thrashed for molesting minor circulated with misleading claims – D-Intent Data (dintentdata.com)
