Media
Did Republic TV Journalist ‘lie’ about ‘Stone Pelting’ being the cause of CRPF bus accident?
Srinagar: In an accident at Bemina in Srinagar, on Sunday, 19 CRPF personnel were injured. The news made headlines in Kashmir and around.
Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul of Republic TV tweeted the photos of the injured saying, “this is what fringe mobster stone pelters did to #CRPF Jawans by throwing stones at their vehicle.”
This is what fringe mobster stone pelters did to #CRPF Jawans by throwing stones at their vehicle which turned turtle early this morning in Bemina of Srinagar, Kashmir. J&K Govt not helping brave forces in Kashmir. Is this what they want to achieve by Ramzan Ceasefire in J&K? pic.twitter.com/zjeK4PKUzk
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 27, 2018
Kaul’s tweeted before the CRPF statement, but the reportage on Republic TV was based on the IG CRPF’s statement who had had said that accident took place due to stone pelting.
Free Press Kashmir had also reported that IG CRPF Ravideep Sahi, had claimed that “some miscreants pelted stones” on the vehicle, causing the accident.
ALSO READ: ‘Will promote Hindutva for money’, Investigative journalism platform exposes indian media
Later in the day, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, however, refuted the claim. While refuting the claim, the police came up with the CCTV footage. In the footage the vehicle is seen losing control and skidding off track, the reason however cannot be ascertained with certainty.
“The CCTV footage was procured and it is clearly seen that the driver lost control which resulted in the mishap,” SSP has said, adding the 19 troopers were injured in the incident.
While the story by Kaul was based on the version of the IG CRPF, the claim has been refuted by the police. Kaul, however, shared the CCTV footage as well, claiming that there was presence of stone pelters which the police could not see. A white figure can be seen in the footage, but there is no confirmation on it till now whether it was a passerby, a person or something else.
ALSO READ: CCTV footage shows Major Gogoi entering hotel; girl was a teenager, says hotel manager
Although the incident has different versions, of the police and the CRPF, the reality still remains contested.
Earlier, Sushil Pandit, a well known Kashmiri Pandit activist and propagandist, whose twitter handle says that he is a Kashmiri Hindu, on Monday took to twitter criticizing the temporary halting of operations by armed forces marketed as Ramzan ceasefire.
Pandit did so by sharing a fake news declaring five government forces were killed in South Kashmir’s Pampore area.
ALSO READ: Propagandist Sushil Pandit tweets fake news, netizens demand action, police files FIR
“Just heard, 5 CRPF jawans martyred in Pampore. #RamzanCeasefire is working. Question is who is it working for!,” Pandit had tweeted.
After being called out for speaking fake news, since no such incident has happened, Pandit deleted the tweet.
Many netizens including former Chief Minister demanded legal action against Pandit.
Given that NO ONE else has this “news” I think it’s safe to assume this is fake news spread with a malicious intent, the subtext being Muslim terrorists have killed Hindu CRPF jawans. These sorts of blatant lies must face legal action. pic.twitter.com/Y61SmfuRtD
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 21, 2018
Police in Kashmir has registered a case in this matter at the Police Station Pampore under FIR No: 49/2018 under section 505 RPC. Investigation in the instant matter has been initiated to ascertain the facts pertaining to the case.
