Even as the communal violence-hit northeastern part of Delhi seems to be gradually returning to normalcy, multiple heart-wrenching visuals from the area continue to surface on social media. In one of the videos that are currently being circulated online, the Delhi Police can be seen pumping a hazardous chemical gas inside several Muslim homes. The clip suggests that the incident took place in Delhi's Jafrabad area during the ghastly riots that have claimed over 42 lives so far.
The 39-second footage was shared by a Twitter user named Dinesh Mishra on February 25 and it had garnered 17,000 views and more than 1,000 retweets. However, he later took down the clip from the micro-blogging website, prompting many to question its authenticity.
While posting the video, Dinesh had written, "Heartbreaking incident. This video is from Delhi's Jafrabad. Delhi police are pumping chemical gas inside Muslim homes. This has affected the health of little children.. Have some shame and at least think about these kids."
The same video was also shared on Facebook by another user.
Check out the clip:
Fact-checking the footage
Before jumping to any conclusion, we wanted to verify the clip and hence, we started looking for its original source. Soon we were able to locate the video on the YouTube channel of CTV News India, the logo of which can be seen in the footage. It had been uploaded on December 17, 2019, with a Hindi title that translates to - "Police is pumping chemical gas in Muslim households of Delhi's Jafrabad".
The unfortunate incident had actually occurred in December when clashes broke out between the Delhi Police and the anti-CAA protesters in Jafrabad. On further digging out the details, we came across an inquiry report submitted by the senior police officials stating that they had to fire 350 tear gas shells to restore peace in the area on December 17.
Therefore, the claims that the clip is from the ongoing violence in the national capital, are wrong.
Worst riots in Delhi in the last three decades
The violence erupted on Sunday when pro- and anti-CAA protesters clashed in Jafrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh and other areas of north-east Delhi. It took a deadly turn on Monday when rioters torched several shops and vehicles and damaged properties worth crores of rupees.
More than 300 people have been injured and are currently fighting for their lives in local hospitals.
