No, Calf Meat Was Not Found Inside a Temple in Masab Tank in Hyderabad

We spoke to DCP West Zone of Hyderabad City Police, who said the viral post carried incorrect details.

Fact-Check | The claim is false as no calf meat was found inside the temple in Masab Tank, Hyderabad. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A claim is doing the rounds on the internet stating that calf meat was recently found at the mandapam of a Goddess Durga temple in Masab Tank in Hyderabad.

What does the post say?: The text along with the images said, "Another incident occurred at Sri Sri Durga Bhavani Devalayam in Masab Tank, where an anonymous person threw calf in the mandapam of the temple. Every Hindu should raise their voice - we want justice!..."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

We received a query about the viral claim on our WhatsApp tipline as well. More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.

Are these claims true?: Team WebQoof spoke to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) West Zone of Hyderabad City Police, SM Vijay Kumar, who said that the viral claim carried incorrect details.

• He confirmed that a foetus of a goat was found in front of the temple in Masab Tank area.

• Further, it was carried by a stray dog from a nearby dog and was not thrown by a person as claimed.

News reports: A keyword search on Google directed us to a news report published in Telangana Today, which talked about tensions prevailing at Pochamma Basthi in Masab Tank after some pieces of meat were found near a temple.

• The local police reached the spot and analysed the surveillance footage.

• It found that some stray dogs had carried the meat pieces and left it in the temple.

• The police then made the footage public, urging the citizens to refrain from falling for such rumours.

The report was published on 13 October.

(Source: Telangana Today/Screenshot)

What did the police say?: While speaking to us, DCP Vijay Kumar said, " Though the incident of finding a carcass of an animal’s foetus on the road in front of a temple in Masab Tank area is true, certain information in that viral post is NOT correct."

• He mentioned that it was a foetus of a goat and not of a calf. This was carried by a street dog from a nearby garbage dump and not was not thrown by any person as claimed in the viral post.

• He further said, "It was not inside the temple but on the road in front of the temple."

Conclusion: It is clear that the post is being shared with a false claim that calf meat was found inside a temple in Hyderabad.

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