A video of a violent mob trying to enter a multi-storied building in Pakistan is being peddled with a false claim that it shows “sar tan se juda” (decapitation) sloganeers attempting to forcefully enter Hindu homes in Telangana.
BOOM found that the video shows an incident of Pakistan from August, 2022 when a mob tried to attack a Hindu man called Ashok Kumar who was accused of blasphemy.
The 30 seconds long viral video features an unruly mob trying to break into a building while some of them can be seen climbing up its walls.
A user on X shared the video with the caption, “Is this Telangana? Jihadis are entering Hindu homes shouting slogans of "Sar Tan Se Juda"! If we do not wake up now, there will be a situation like Kashmir! Protect yourself! No leader, organization or media will come to save you—just like no one came in Kashmir!”
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The video is also viral on Facebook with the same claim.
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Fact Check: Viral Video is from Pakistan
BOOM found that the viral video shows an incident of Hyderabad in Pakistan from August, 2022.
Through a reverse image search on keyframes of the viral video using Google Lens, we found multiple media reports with similar visuals.
On August 23, 2022, The Tribune reported a Hindu sanitation worker called Ashok Kumar from Hyderabad situated in Pakistan’s Sindh Province allegedly insulting the holy book of Islam. Police had rescued Ashok from a violent mob of Islamic extremists who were trying to attack him, while Ashok was later arrested on blasphemy charges.
According to the report, extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) staged protests on August 21, in front of a building housing Hindu families over the alleged blasphemy incident from August 19.
The report also quoted a police official stating the sanitation worker was targeted because of personal clash with a local resident.
An Economic Times article reported the allegation against Kumar was made after he got involved in a brawl with a local shopkeeper called Bilal Abbas. He was booked in a false case of alleged blasphemy over the desecration of the Quran.
Other media outlets like NDTV, Firstpost and Swarajya also reported on the incident. India Today and CNN News18 has published video reports on the same.
