Pakistanis on social media are known to spread ridiculous fake news against India. They are also known to see the hand of Indian intelligence agencies everywhere and elaborate cryptic conspiracy theories are invented through collective deliberation to somehow blame RAW for all the trouble that occurs within their territory. Now it appears they have also started spotting RAW behind turmoil in neighbouring countries.
On Friday, a very suspicious account on micro-blogging site Twitter shared the image of a rather dishevelled looking man in handcuffs claiming that it was an Indian RAW agent who was arrested in Nepal for allegedly engaging in subversive activities in the country. It was claimed that the man in the picture smuggled people in the country to engage in acts of terrorism.
The tweet was promptly quote tweeted by a Pakistani journalist saying “RAW sending these type of agents?” The intention was obviously to mock the dishevelled state of the individual. To say the tweet did not age well would be an understatement.
As it turns out, the individual in the photograph is not an agent of RAW arrested in Nepal. In fact, he is not even Indian. He is a Pakistani citizen and his name is Mohammed Arif. And far from being a RAW agent or anything of that sort, he is actually a cannibal who was arrested along with his brother after the head of a child was discovered in their house.
The two were convicted in 2014 on charges of desecrating a grave as Pakistan does not have any laws against cannibalism. The brothers had served two years in jail on similar charges. Apart from the charges of desecrating a grave, they were also convicted for spreading fear and damaging public property, offences under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law.
The brother admitted to digging up the grave of the child and making a curry of the body. Their release following their initial two-year stint had angered locals in their native village of Khwawar Kalan, near the town of Darya Khan in Punjab’s Bhakkar district. They tried living a subdued life following their release but soon, their neighbours complained of the odour of rotting flesh emanating from their house. In the police raid that followed, the head of a child who had died recently and buried in the local graveyard was discovered.
Thus, another attempt by Pakistanis at fomenting discord against India fell on its face. Pakistanis are known for such antics on social media, however, claiming that a Pakistani cannibal was, in fact, an agent of RAW is quite baffling. The initial account that posted the photo before it was picked by the Pakistani journalist also appears extremely dubious and could very well be run by a Pakistani.
The account was created on March 2020 and has deleted several tweets in the past that point towards suspicious behaviour. Furthermore, a lot of Pakistani accounts follow and interact with the handle which indicates that the handle itself is managed by either a Pakistani or a pro-Pakistan individual, which appears rather unlikely. But the anti-India nature of it is quite obvious.
Tensions between India and Nepal
This particular bit of fake news comes at a time when India and Nepal are facing several issues in their diplomatic relationship. Nepal has updated its map that lays claim to Indian territory which the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has dubbed untenable. Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is himself facing dissent among his own ranks due to his harebrained tactics.
The tensions emerged at a time when India and China were engaged in a conflict at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. The clash between troops of the two countries at Galwan Valley resulted in casualties in both sides. Deescalation at the LAC is currently underway with top functionaries of both governments engaging in several discussions.
