Recently, a video of a UP court employee spitting in water has gone viral on social media platforms. Several users, influencers and propagandists have shared the video and projected as the individual belongs to a particular community. However, D-Intent Data has found that the video is old and has nothing to do with any kind of Jihad. The accused was identified as Vikas Gupta, a fourth-class employee.
The Old video disseminated with misleading claims about UP court employee spitting in water
Several users, influencers and propagandists have shared the video with ‘Thook Jihad’ claims.
Serial fake news peddler and propagandist account Amitabh Chaudhary (@Mithilawaala) has shared the video on X (Formerly Twitter) and said. Aligarh (Harigarh): Peon of judge in district court uses to spit in the water which he use to give to the judge. “If you too have them as staff or employee , be 100% assured they must have done this to you too. This jihad is not restricted to their homes, restaurants and food/fruit carts !! Hope now at least the Supreme Court Milords will know what “international standards” these people follow !!”
Another fake news peddler and propagandist account @ajaychauhan41 has also posted the old video and said. “Thook Jihad, Aligarh’s judge sahab also became a victim of thook jihad”. He later deleted the post.
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also disseminated the old video and made similar communal claims. Their posts can be seen here AJAYAWASTHI108, @DrEramElizabeth, @AvkushSingh, @tweetwanti.
The truth about the viral video of UP court employee spitting in water, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice, we conducted research and found that this is an old video from May 2018, and the individual was identified as Vikas Gupta, a fourth-class employee.
To verify the claims made by the users, we did a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video on Google which led us to several media reports containing the same visuals of a man spitting in a glass of water.
According to the reports(TOI, Jansatta), this is an old video from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Where a fourth-class employee was caught spitting in water before serving it to a lady judicial officer in May 2018. The accused was identified as Vikas Gupta, a fourth-class employee. He was immediately suspended.
Moreover, Aligarh police have also reacted to the posts containing the video and clarified that the incident is old and the claims being circulated are misleading.
Hence, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the viral video of a man spitting in water is not recent and has nothing to do with religion and Jihad.
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating old videos with misleading claims to set their narrative against a particular community amid the nameplate controversy in Uttar Pradesh.
Conclusion
Claim– An individual belonging to a particular community was caught spitting in water before serving it to a judge in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh.
Fact– The incident is old and the accused was identified as Vikas Gupta, a fourth-class employee.
Related Article: Fact Check: Old video of US food service worker spitting on pizza shared with misleading claims – D-Intent Data (dintentdata.com)
