An image of a young boy seated without clothes in a van is circulating on social media. The claim accompanying it suggests that a 15-year-old was undressed and had chilli powder spread on him as punishment for theft in Himachal Pradesh.
The image is shared on Facebook with the caption in Tamil, “ஹிமாச்சல பிரதேஷில் 15 வயது சிறுவன் குர்கரே திருடியதாக கூறி அடித்து கண்ணில் மிளகாய் பொடியை தூவி நிர்வாணமாக அழைத்து சென்றுள்ளனர் இது விவாதம் ஆகாது காரணம் காங்கிரஸ் ஆட்சி”
(English translation: In Himachal Pradesh, a 15-year-old Gurgare boy was beaten, chilli powder thrown in his eyes and taken naked This is not a debate because the Congress is ruling)
Here’s the link to the above post.
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above claim and found it to be FALSE.
We performed a Google search with relevant keywords and found a video news report which carried the same image on April 5, 2016, with the title, “Three Dalit boys were allegedly thrashed with rods, stripped and paraded naked for nearly 300 km in Chittorgarh in Rajasthan for alleged robbery”.
Taking a cue from this, we searched further and found a news article published by Deccan Herald on April 5, 2016, which reported the same incident. According to the article, “Three minor Dalit boys were stripped and beaten by a mob and paraded naked after they were accused of stealing a motorcycle in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district. Six persons have been arrested for beating the minors against whom a theft case has been registered, police said today, as the incident caught on a video sparked condemnation with Congress saying the attitude of the state’s BJP government towards Dalits is absolutely condemnable”.
We also found a news report by DNA dated April 5, 2016, stating that “The boys, who belonged to the Kanjar tribe and are traditionally treated as social outcasts, were going to their village on the stolen motorcycle which was identified by some youths of Laxmipura village who caught them. Police claimed the incident was not a caste-related issue and that three of the six arrested persons belonged to the ST community”.
Thus, it is evident from the above information that an old incident from Rajasthan is falsely shared as a teenager tortured in Himachal Pradesh.
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