Following industrialist Ratan Naval Tata's death, a claim is doing the rounds on social media platforms claiming that his dog named 'Goa' also recently passed away.
What have users said?: Those sharing the post have captioned it saying, "Sad news...Tatas pet Dog GOA DIES AFTER 3 DAYS ..OF HIS DEATH ..That's why they say that Dogs are more faithful to their masters, than human beings! (sic)."
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. Archives of similar such claims can be found here, here, and here.
What is the truth?: The claim is false. A Mumbai police officer debunked the misinformation on his social media profile and confirmed that 'Goa' is alive and well.
News reports: Using the help of keywords on Google, we came across a report published by Times Now on 15 October.
It said that a senior inspector in Mumbai Police named Sudhir Kudalkar debunked the rumours of the late Ratan Tata's pet dog's death.
The report said that Kudalkar personally confirmed about 'Goa' from Shantanu Naidu, a close friend of Tata.
The report was published on 15 October 2024.
(Source: Times Now/Screenshot)
In fact, Kudalkar posted on his official Instagram handle clarifying that the WhatsApp message circulating about 'Goa' is false.
He further requested people to refrain from spreading posts before verifying them.
Additionally, we could find no information confirming Goa's demise.
We have also contacted Kudalkar and Tata's former assistant, Shantanu Naidu, for additional information.
Conclusion: It's clear that there is no evidence to prove that Ratan Tata's pet dog Goa passed away shortly after his death.
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