A video depicting a group of people taking an individual on a vehicle is being circulated by extremist and propagandist accounts, falsely claiming that it depicts a religion-based hate crime against a Bengali Muslim in India. In reality, the individual in the video is an illegal Bangladeshi national arrested with multiple fake documents. The police investigation identified him as Ehsan Hafiz Shaikh, a resident of Sonkanda Bazar, Phulpur, in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) serial fake news peddler and propaganda account @AsianDigest wrote, “Bengali Muslim being targeted by radical Hindu organizations in India”
The truth about the video, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis regarding the video. We found that the video was not related to a religious hate crime against a Bengali Muslim.
To verify the claims made by propagandists. We performed relevant keyword searches and found media reports regarding the claims. According to the reports (1, 2), an illegal Bangladeshi national was arrested with multiple fake documents in Pune. The police investigation identified him as Ehsan Hafiz Shaikh, a resident of Sonkanda Bazar, Phulpur, in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. Authorities also found contact numbers of his relatives in Bangladesh on his phone, and further legal actions are in progress.
A Bangladeshi national, Ehsan Hafiz Sheikh, who had been residing illegally in Pune's Maharshinagar area for the past ten years and running a clothing business, has been apprehended by the Patit Pavan Organization. An FIR has been registered against him at the Swargate Police… pic.twitter.com/UDw4pYJybB
— Pune Mirror (@ThePuneMirror) January 17, 2025
Therefore, it is evident from verified sources that the incident was not related to religious hate crime as portrayed on social media.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) January 18, 2025
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video is being circulated by extremist and propagandist accounts, falsely claiming that it depicts a religion-based hate crime against a Bengali Muslim in India. In reality, the individual in the video is an illegal Bangladeshi national (1/3) pic.twitter.com/6FI0BscByi
Intent
Extremists are circulating videos with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion in India.
Conclusion
Claim– Bengali Muslim was targeted and harassed by radical Hindu organizations in India.
Fact– The incident was not related to a religious hate crime. An illegal Bangladeshi was arrested with fake documents in Pune, Maharashtra.
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