By: Rajeswari Parasa
January 3 2024
Unrelated video from Haryana shared as Dalit boy beaten up in Ayodhya
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Screenshot of the claim in Hindi (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
Logically Facts spoke to the police and the boy's parents, who confirmed that the incident occurred in Haryana and not in Ayodhya.
Claim ID 95488144
What's the claim?
The newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 22 and preparations are underway for the consecration ceremony that several dignitaries will attend. Ahead of the event, a video of a boy being beaten up has been shared on social media with the claim that he was assaulted by people for throwing flowers during a 'ceremony' of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
In the video, people wearing saffron clothes are seen playing some instruments as a group of female dancers walk by. Suddenly, a scuffle breaks out and two men start hitting a boy wearing a uniform with a red sweater, as he falls to the ground. A woman can be heard in the background of the video, asking in Hindi, “Why are you beating him up?”
An X (formerly Twitter) user shared this video with the caption, “Dalit Boy Vishnu beaten by organizers for throwing flowers in Ayodhya during Ram Temple ceremony.” The post had around 29,600 views at the time of writing this article. An archived version of this post can be accessed here. Another post with a similar claim on Facebook can be accessed here.
Screenshot of the claim in Hindi (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, we found that the video is from Haryana has been falsely linked to the upcoming Ram temple ceremony.
What are the facts?
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to a Hindi news report by ETV Bharat Haryana, dated December 24, 2023. According to this report, a two-day Geeta Jayanti celebration was organized in Faridabad, Haryana, which was attended by several schoolchildren. The report also noted that a video from this event, where a boy was beaten up by two men, had gone viral. According to this report, the two men seen assaulting the boy were teachers. The video shared along with this report carried the same visuals as seen in the viral video.
We found another news report by Hindustan Times titled, “Two Faridabad teachers booked for assaulting 15-year-old.” This report noted that two teachers from Haryana’s Faridabad were booked for assaulting a 15-year-old student during a school event held on December 22, 2023, after the boy’s father filed a police complaint. It also noted that the duo was booked “under sections 74 and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and sections 323 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.”
Speaking to Logically Facts, Faridabad Central Police Station Inspector Ranbir Singh said that the visuals from the viral video were from an incident in Faridabad, Haryana, during the Gita Mahosthav event. He also told us that the victim of the assault did not belong to the Dalit community.
We also reached out to the boy’s parents, who confirmed that this incident happened in Faridabad Sector 12 and teachers beat up their son during an event. The family also said that their son was still on medication and was still recovering from the trauma caused by the incident.
We also reached out to ABP Live's ground reporter from Ayodhya, Rishi Guptawho said that no such incident took place in Ayodhya. He also said, “The visuals from Ayodhya for the inaugural ceremony of the Ram Mandir are different from what is seen in the viral video.”
Ayodhya Police have also issued a written clarification on X, stating that the video is not from Ayodhya and that claims of a Dalit boy being beaten up in Ayodhya are false.
The verdict
A video of two teachers beating up a 15-year-old boy in Haryana’s Faridabad has gone viral with a false claim that a Dalit boy was assaulted in Ayodhya. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.