Video of usual drone monitoring process in Ranchi is shared with false communal narratives.
Claim
Jharkhand: In a major success Ranchi Police has thwarted potential communal violence on #RamNavami tomorrow. The Police have discovered terraces of at least 10 houses stacked up with stones, with the help of drones. Notices issued
Rating
Explanation
The police department was making security arrangements ahead of the Ram Navami procession in Ranchi, Jharkhand. A video is being circulated by the right wing on social media stating that the police department visited the routes of such a procession with a drone and found stones on the terrace of 10 houses to throw at the procession. The site ‘Mediyaan News’ has also reported the same information. You can see a similar claim post here.
रामनवमी पर ‘उनकी’ तैयारी हो चुकी है, आप क्या कर रहे हैं?
राँची में छतों पर पत्थर रख लिए गए हैं। यही समाचार बंगाल, बिहार, गुजरात, राजस्थान, उत्तर प्रदेश से कल पत्थरबाजी के बाद मिलेंगे। सावधान रहिए, सतर्क रहिए, डरिए बिलकुल नहीं। #RamNavami pic.twitter.com/cBlkfr0Yyy
— Ajeet Bharti (@ajeetbharti) April 16, 2024
What’s the truth?
This information doesn’t seem credible because “Megh Updates” is well known for disseminating fake and misleading news, and this handle has been associated with the viral claim.
After doing more research, we discovered that the Ranchi Police Department had responded to a query on page X of the “Megh Updates” page.
In the post, they said “Drone monitoring of procession routes is a common administrative process. This is done in many districts and if any construction mat such as stones, bricks, sand, etc. is lying on someone’s roof, then the concerned people remove it @Jharkhand Police @Lathkar_IPS @amolhomkar_IPS @NBTBihar.
मकान मालिकों को कहा जाता है। रांची जिला में भी ऐसा नोटिस मकान मालिकों को दिया गया। इसमें कहीं कोई सांप्रदायिक अथवा षड्यंत्र वाला आयाम नहीं है ।
*षड्यंत्र को बेनकाब* करने जैसे सनसनीखेज खबर बिना किसी ठोस आधार के किसी न्यूज चैनल के द्वारा चलाना विधि सम्मत नही है।— Ranchi Police (@ranchipolice) April 16, 2024
In another tweet post, the Ranchi Police said, “Landlords are called. In the Ranchi district also such notice was given to the landlords. There is no communal or conspiracy dimension in this. Running sensational news like *exposing a conspiracy* without any solid basis by any news channel is not legal.”
Last year there were incidents of riots during Ram Navami processions in Bihar, West Bengal, and Maharashtra. Fake videos of Hindus leaving due to riots were circulated on social media. Remarkably, the Bihar Police Department clarified at the time that nobody should take it seriously.
Conclusion:
Reports of a video circulating in Ranchi that the police had found stones placed on the floors of houses during Ram Navami processions for pelting are not true. The Ranchi Police Department has explained that this is routine work done during the procession.
