Kerala Couple Refused Ambulance With Hanuman Sticker? Fake News!

A representative from Inshorts told us that they hadn’t published the information and that it’s a doctored image.

A doctored screenshot of media outlet Inshorts’ news update is being circulated to claim that a couple in Kerala refused to take an ambulance that carried Lord Hanuman’s sticker on it and that the couple later died.

However, a representative from Inshorts told us that the media outlet hadn’t published such information. Further, the image used in the screenshot was captured in Karnataka’s Bengaluru.

CLAIM

The screenshot linked the information to Hindustan Times and mentioned that one M Stalin and his wife Jaycee who were in dire need of oxygen refused to take an ambulance as it carried Lord Hanuman’s sticker on it.

“According to eyewitnesses, they passed away shaking in indignation,” the screenshot mentioned.

Twitter user @HinduTreasure shared the screenshot with the claim, when translated to English, reads: “They are so disgusted with your veneration.”

Several social media users shared the viral image on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim and the archived posts can be viewed here, here, and here.

The Quint received multiple queries on the claim being made in the image on its WhatsApp tipline as well.

WHAT WE FOUND

Firstly, we searched for news reports that carried the information seen in the viral screenshot, however, we couldn’t find any.

Secondly, on carefully looking at the image, we noticed ‘Prasanna’ written on the ambulance and found that this agency is based out of Karnataka’s Bengaluru.

We then searched on Google using keywords ‘Hindustan Times crematorium bangalore’ and came across an HT article that carried the image.

It is pertinent to note that the article didn’t mention any information as claimed in the viral screenshot.

Further, the caption along with the image credited to AFP, mentioned that it was captured in Bengaluru on 8 May and showed family members and undertakers carrying a victim’s body who died of coronavirus.

The AFP image is available on Getty images as well, along with several other images from the same location.

COMPARISON BETWEEN VIRAL IMAGE & ORIGINAL INSHORTS UPDATE

Third, we compared the viral screenshot with an original Inshorts news update available on its app and found that the two didn’t look exactly the same.

For instance, in the original screenshot, the colour of text as compared to the headline is lighter, however, in the viral image, no such difference can be seen.

Further, Inshorts, too, has denied publishing any such piece of information on their platform.

“This news piece hasn’t been published by us on Inshorts. This is a doctored image,” a representative from Inshorts told The Quint’s WebQoof team.

Evidently, an edited screenshot of Inshorts was used to claim that a Kerala couple refused an ambulance that carried Lord Hanuman’s sticker.

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