WebQoof Recap: Farmers' Protest, Sidharth Shukla's Death & More!

From a High Court judge saying cows are the only animals to exhale oxygen to a clip of Taliban 'executing' a man.

From an Allahabad High Court judge noting that cows are the only animals to exhale oxygen to news media organisations incorrectly sharing a video of the Taliban 'executing' a man by hanging him from a chopper, here's what misled the public this week.

1. No, This Video Doesn't Show Actor Sidharth Shukla Suffering a Heart Attack

Shortly after the news of actor Sidharth Shukla's demise broke on Thursday, 2 September, social media users shared a video of a man collapsing while sitting on a flight of stairs, claiming that it showed the moment when Shukla suffered a heart attack.

However, we found that the video showed a 33-year-old man collapsing outside a gym in Bengaluru, on 25 August, a week before Shukla's death. Upon carefully looking at the clip being shared, we noticed the date stamp '25/08/2021' was visible in the footage.

You can read our fact-check here.

2. Fact-Check: Did Taliban Execute a Man By Hanging Him From a Helicopter?

Several news organisations and internet personalities shared a short clip of a man 'hanging' from a helicopter, claiming that it showed the situation in Afghanistan, where Taliban executed a man by hanging him from an aircraft.

We found other angles of the same video where the man could be seen hanging by a harness on his back, who later waved at onlookers while he was suspended from the helicopter.

Reporter accounts also corroborated this version of events, stating that the man in the harness was a Taliban fighter who was attempting to aerially install a Taliban flag on top of the governor's office in Kandahar, but ultimately failed to do so.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. Is Cow the Only Animal to Exhale Oxygen? No, It’s True for All of Us!

While passing an order denying bail to an individual for offences under the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act in Uttar Pradesh on 1 September, Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav said that the government should bring in a Bill which would aim to include the protection of cows within the 'scope of fundamental rights of Hindus'.

Speaking about cows in this regard, Justice Yadav also observed that "scientists believe that the cow is the only animal that inhales as well as exhales oxygen."

However, that's not just true for cows but all of us.

(Note: Swipe right to view images debunking the claim.)

Felix Bast, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Botany Central University of Punjab spoke to The Quint and said that whatever is inhaled is also exhaled, but the concentration of gases changes.

You can read our detailed fact-check here.

4. Old Image From Srinagar Shared As 'Cops Cleaning Farmers' Blood in Karnal'

Following a lathi-charge against protesting farmers in Haryana's Karnal on 28 August, a photograph of personnel dressed in uniform washing blood off the road was falsely shared with a claim that it showed the washing farmers' blood after the lathi charge.

We found that this photograph was old. A reverse image search led us to an article by The Indian Express, published in September 2013 which carried the photo.

Titled 'CISF jawan killed in militant attack in Srinagar', the article mentioned that the attack took place near Iqbal Park in Srinagar and injured two soldiers, of which one lost his life.

You can read our fact-check here.

5. No, Krishna Janmashtami Procession in Srinagar Wasn't a 'First in 32 Years'

As Kashmiri Pandits took out a procession to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir on Monday, 30 August, many media outlets and social media users claimed that this was the first such procession in the city in 32 years.

However, we found visuals of the occasion being celebrated in Kashmir from 2004, 2007, 2012 and 2018. A PTI report noted that no festivities had been allowed in 2019 due to a lockdown that was imposed following the abrogation of Article 370 and no procession was taken out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further, we found an article by Hindustan Times from 2007 which spoke to the president of a Kashmiri Pandit body, who said that that year was the first time a procession was taken out at Lal Chowk, Srinagar since 1989.

You can read our fact-check here.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)