On 27th September, Meerut Police debunked media reports and social media posts where it was claimed that a Muslim man was assaulted at NSA Degree College for wearing a skull cap. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Meerut Police said that a man came to the college to deposit the fees of his sister. He was caught by other students filming videos. When students objected to it, he tried to assault them. An FIR has been registered in the matter. The Police categorically said that it was not a communal matter but a scuffle between two groups over recording videos.
एनएएस कॉलेज में युवक के साथ मारपीट की घटना से सम्बन्धित वायरल वीडियो के सम्बन्ध में ब्रीफ नोट। #UPPolice pic.twitter.com/6dQErdWs1D
— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) September 27, 2023
Islamists, political parties and media houses claimed a Muslim man was beaten for wearing a cap
Several politicians, Islamists and media houses shared fake news about the incident.
UP Congress, from its official handle, shared the fake news and wrote that some miscreants assaulted a man who came to deposit fees of his sister just because he was wearing a cap. Congress accused the BJP of spreading communal tension in the state.
— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) September 27, 2023
A media house, Anytime News Meerut, also shared a similar post claiming the man was beaten up for wearing a cap. Meerut police replied and debunked the claims.
#मेरठ । N A S डिग्री कॉलेज में टोपी पहनकर आने पर युवक की पिटाई बहन के साथ फीस जमा करने पहुंचा था युवक युवक की पिटाई कर जाति सूचक शब्द कहे गए कॉलेज में पिटाई की घटना सीसीटीवी में हुई कैद बहन के सामने युवक को पीट ईंट से हमला किया गाली गलौच कर टोपी उतारने के लिए कह रहे थे युवक… pic.twitter.com/mGPTfNSxHB
— ANYTIME NEWS MEERUT (@AnytimeMeerut) September 27, 2023
‘Journalist’ Nitin Singh also shared similar claims on X. He claimed that the miscreants assaulted the Muslim man and asked him to remove the cap.
Bharat Samachar also shared the fake news. Meerut Police replied that the scuffle started after the Muslim man was caught recording videos from his phone. The investigation was underway.
एक युवक जो फीस जमा करने अपनी बहन के साथ आया था के द्वारा मोबाइल से वीडियो बनाया जा रही थी।दूसरे पक्ष के के द्वारा आपत्ति की गई और दूसरे पक्ष के द्वारा प्रथम पक्ष के साथ मारपीट का प्रयास किया गया जिसमें कि पुलिस द्वारा मुकदमा पंजीकृत किया गया है।नियमानुसार कार्यवाही की जा रही है
— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) September 27, 2023
Bharat Samachar’s post was reposted by none other than the so-called fact-checker and co-founder of dubious web portal Alt News, Mohammed Zubair.
Quoting one Ashwini Soni, RJ Sameya, who has been caught spreading fake news multiple times, wrote, “A depraved society! Pathetic.”
OpIndia tried to contact Meerut police for further details but could not connect.