False claim suggests all Hyderabad rape accused hailed from Muslim community

A graphic with photographs of Hyderabad rape accused is widely circulating on social media. It identifies the four accused as, “मोहम्मद पाशा,मोहम्मद इकबाल, मोहम्मद रहीम, मोहम्मद अक्रम (Mohammed Pasha, Mohammed Iqbal, Mohammed Rahim, Mohammed Akram)”. It is being suggested that apart from Mohammed Pasha, a 26-year-old lorry driver, the other three accused in the Hyderabad rape case were also from the Muslim community.

Twitter handle @realhistoripix, which on several occasions has been found spreading misinformation, posted the graphic saying, “वैटनरी डॉक्टर के बलात्कारियों व हत्यारों के असली नाम। 1. मोहम्मद पाशा 2. मोहम्मद इकबाल 3. मोहम्मद रहीम 4. मोहम्मद अक्रम (Real names of the Hyderabad veterinarian’s rapist. 1. Mohammed Pasha 2. Mohammed Iqbal 3.Mohammed Rahim 4.Mohammed Akram)”. It may be noted that the claim is attributed to another Twitter handle @pokershash which has also been found spreading misinformation on several occasions. However, the handle has denied tweeting the information.

वैटनरी डॉक्टर के बलात्कारियों व हत्यारों के असली नाम।

1. मोहम्मद पाशा 2. मोहम्मद इकबाल
3. मोहम्मद रहीम 4. मोहम्मद अक्रम

– via @pokershash pic.twitter.com/cEytWz8AxK

— History of India (@RealHistoriPix) December 5, 2019

Many other people on Facebook and Twitter have posted the same claim.

In the recent development in the case, all the four accused of the murder and rape were killed in an encounter with the Telangana police in the wee hours of December 6, 2019.

Fact-check

The claim that all the accused in the Hyderabad rape case hailed from the Muslim community is patently false. In a press note issued by the police, the accused were identified as follows:

1. Pasha, a 26-year-old lorry driver.
2. Shiva, a 20-year-old lorry cleaner.
3. Naveen, a 20-year-old lorry cleaner.
4. Keshavulu, a 20-year-old lorry driver.

You can see the names listed in a screenshot of a press note below.

The same names were reiterated by the police in a press conference after the incident.

Moreover, The Quint spoke with the families of all the four accused. The article identifies the family members of the accused as follows:

1. Jollu Shiva’s father as Jollu Rajappa
2. Jollu Naveen’s mother as Laxmi (sister of Jollu Rajappa)
3. Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu’s mother is Jayamma
4. Mohammed alias Areef’s mother Molanbi.

Suffice to say, the claim that all the accused in the gruesome rape and murder of the Hyderabad veterinarian did not hail from the same community. Cyberabad police also refuted the claim by saying, “It is false information. All the accused not belongs to one religion. One is Muslim and remaining 3 are Hindus. It is a heinous crime and we are working hard to ensure capital punishment to all the accused. Please don’t give religious colour to the crime.”

Alt News had earlier fact-checked a similar claim where it was said that three out of the four accused in Hyderbad gang-rape case were minors. The claim was promoted by self-proclaimed saint Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati.