On May 19, 2022, Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen clinched Gold at the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championship. Following this, an image featuring Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Zareen is doing rounds on social media with a claim that the CM awarded her Rs 50 lakh for her stupendous win. The image shows Zareen holding a huge cheque.
A Facebook user shared the image with a caption in Hindi that translates to, “Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao awarded 50 lakhs to Nikhat Zareen who won gold medal in boxing.”
(Original: तेलंगाना के मुख़्यमंत्री के K चंद्रशेखर राव ने बॉक्सिंग मे गोल्ड मेडल जितने वाली निखत ज़रीन को पचास लाख इनाम दिया)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the claim and found it to be misleading.
On performing Reverse Image Search, we found a similar image carried in a Deccan Chronicle report dated August 16, 2014. The report talked about Telangana CM felicitating several sportspersons including boxer Nikhat Zareen at Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The caption with the image reads, “Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao shakes his fist as he hands a cheque for Rs 50 lakh to woman boxer Nikhat Zareen in Hyderabad on Friday. — P. Surendra.”
On digging further, we found several reports on Zareen’s win. As per reports, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao congratulated Zareen on her win.
A press release issued by the Chief Minister’s office on the same can be found here. None of the reports mentioned a cash award.
Moreover, in an interview, Zareen’s mother thanked Telangana CM for providing financial assistance in 2014.
Therefore, with the above information, it can be concluded that the viral claim is misleading.
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