On February 18, PTI reported that a man was held in Rajasthan for allegedly spying for Pakistan. Mohammad Yunus was accused of sharing classified information about the Nasirabad cantonment of the Indian army to his Pakistani handlers via WhatsApp chats.
Two days later, Twitter user @AkshatK93411224 posted a clip of officials in uniform lathi-charging two Muslim men. The clip shows army men thrashing them and forcing them into a van. It has gained over 30,000 views. Viral posts claim that the video shows army men lathi-charging Mohammad Yunus Yunis, Ahmed Molana and Sadam who were arrested in Ajmer for spying for Pakistan. Several Twitter users have shared this clip.
अजमेर से पाकिस्तान के लिए जासूसी करने वाले मोहम्मद यूनुस,अहमद मौलाना,और सद्दाम को सेना ने ढङे मारे ???????????? pic.twitter.com/qbYS70RlzN
— अक्षत कुमावत (@AkshatK93411224) February 20, 2022
Twitter user @iyogitasingh also posted it. It gained over 500 retweets. In the past, Alt News has documented that this account has shared misinformation.
अजमेर से पाकिस्तान के लिए जासूसी करने वाले मोहम्मद यूनुस,अहमद मौलाना,और सद्दाम को सेना ने ढङे मारे ???????????? pic.twitter.com/UpwuxUiH64
— YOGITA SINGH (@iyogitasingh) February 21, 2022
Several Facebook users have shared the video as well.
Old video from MP
In the course of our research, we found that the clip dates back two years. It was posted by journalist Anurag Dwary who wrote that the clip is from April 2020 and was shot in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district during the lockdown.
रतलाम में #lockdown #Lockdown21 का उल्लंघन कर सामूहिक रूप से नमाज पढ़ने पर पुलिस की कार्रवाई #Covid_19 #coronavirus #StayHome #lockdown @ndtvindia @shailendranrb @ajaiksaran @dharamtiwari @PoliceWaliPblic @sunilcredible pic.twitter.com/MdWvzk8LBR
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) April 17, 2020
OneIndia Hindi reported that police arrested a few men from a mosque at Ratlam’s Omkala Road for not following COVID-19 protocol. Some men were arrested under IPC sections 188 [Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant.], 269 [Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life] and 270 [Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life].
To sum it up, a 2020 clip of Muslim men being arrested in Ratlam for breaching COVID-19 protocol was shared with the false claim that the viral clip shows authorities arresting Muslim men in Rajasthan for spying fpr Pakistan.
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