Video of man attempting self-immolation shared as atrocity against Dalit community - Alt News
Jignesh Patel
19th July 2019 / 4:12 pm / Last updated: 1st August 2019
“मोदी राज में सबसे ज्यादा दलितों पर जुलम किए जा रहे हैं। दलितों को जिंदा जला दिया कानून व्यवस्था चौपट। (Atrocities on Dalits have been the highest during Modi rule. Dalits are being burnt alive while the law and order is disrupted -translated)”, reads a message, which is circulating on social media with a video of a burning man. The message does not mention the time or place of the incident. This video, with the identical narrative, shared by the Facebook page of Yogendra Yadav M has garnered close to 6,000 shares so far.
#मोदी_राज_में_सबसे_ज्यादा_दलितों_पर #जुलम_किए_जा_रहे_हैं। दलितों को जिंदा जला दिया कानून व्यवस्था चौपट। जिस भी भाई ने यह वीडियो शेयर नहीं किया ना, तो थू है उसकी जिंदगी पर और मैं समझता हूं मेरे हिसाब से इस से घटिया इंसान और कोई नहीं होगा। यह भारत देश है यहां पर गरीबों की नहीं सुनी नहीं जाती यहां पर अमीर खरीद लेते हैं चंद रुपयों में इनका जमीर।
#मोदी_है_तो_मुमकिन_है_योगी_का #गुंडाराज_शिखर_की_और
Posted by Yogendra Yadav M on Sunday, 21 July 2019
Alt News had also received a fact-check request on its official number for the same video/claim.
With a keyword search on Google, Alt News found that the said incident took place in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in July 2019. According to a report by Patrika, Babulal Saini, a 50-year-old man had attempted self-immolation when a team of forest officials were executing the order to remove his family from the allegedly encroached land that was reportedly owned by the forest department.
“Saini’s family alleged that he attempted suicide after the forest department officials tortured him. The officials, on the other hand, accused the family members of pelting stones on their team, the officer said.”, reported Outlook on July 7, 2019. The officials had come to demolish Saini’s house under an anti-encroachment drive as it was allegedly built on forest land. Saini reportedly died on July 11, 2019, while getting treated at Jaipur’s SMS hospital.
Alt News contacted Gudha police station to confirm the details of the case. Regarding the claim that the deceased was a Dalit, SHO Hardayal Singh said, “No, he is not a Dalit. He is from the Saini community“. He further added, “A team of forest official hand gone to his house to survey the forest land that was encroached by him. Seeing the forest team he had burnt himself by kerosene to scare the officials away.” Alt News was informed that two cases were indeed filed in the matter, one by the forest officials against Saini’s family for not letting them discharge their duty and pelting stones at them while the other was filed by the Saini’s brother against the officials for abetment of suicide. The cases are under investigation.
A video of a man immolating himself was circulated with a false claim that a person belonging to the Dalit community was burnt alive and the Union Government was blamed for the same.
Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.
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