As the whole country is following the lockdown phase which has now been extended to May 3rd to contain the Pandemic COVID19. In Kolkata, too strict lockdown is being observed for the safety and wellbeing of the people.
As of 25th April this year marks the beginning of Ramadan Month, a misleading video was doing rounds on social media with the claim that people of Metiabruz area of Kolkata are out in open to buy food items before the Iftari, making the market place a crowded one, which is against the guidelines set by both state and central government for the lockdown period.
We at News Sense received the video from Kolkata Police to check and find out the authenticity of the video. The News Sense Factcheck Team started to work, we used InVID, to break the viral video into images. During our investigation we found the video is an old video, long before the lockdown was announced.
We also found the image with a signboard of Maa Kali Store, Kolkata Police too found that there exists such a store in the Metiabruz’s Mudiali area by the same name. The police also found the CCTV footage of the area which shows an empty market on 25th April 2020. Hence it is revealed that the viral video which is doing round is an old one.
Shri Muralidhar Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Kolkata Police also confirmed that the video is an old video while speaking to News Sense he said, “the video which is doing rounds is an old video, most probably a day before the lockdown was first declared on March 24th. We also got the CCTV footage of the Mudiali Market of Metiabruz, which clearly shows that the market was closed on 25th April 2020“.
Meanwhile, DCP Port Kolkata has twitted from its official handle claiming the misleading video is fake and informed that a case has been initiated and legal action will be taken against person spreading fake news.
Thus, going by all investigation and official confirmation we can say that the video is fake and has nothing to do with ongoing lockdown and festival of Ramadan.
Claim: Crowded Kolkata Market on the Eve of Ramadan.
Conclusion: CCTV footage proves no such crowd on the said date.
NB: Don’t share or forward any misleading information on your social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, by doing so you are also becoming someone, who is creating panic and confusion among the larger mass and this is a punishable offense.
