Passenger’s fake theft claim at Delhi Airport with communal colour debunked by CISF
Media outlets amplify false communal claim without verifying or including official response
New Delhi: A passenger’s baseless claim of theft at Delhi Airport with communal colour has been debunked by the CISF. Dr Tushar Mehta, claiming to be an orthopaedic surgeon, had alleged on X that his Apple Watch was stolen after a security check at Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport. He accused two individuals, identified as Shoaib and Md Saqib, of being involved in the alleged theft, with one of them reportedly working at the Helios store in the terminal.
In his now-deleted tweet, Dr Mehta claimed that after placing his watch in a security tray, he realised it was missing upon crossing the scanner. He alleged that he confronted an individual, forcibly retrieved his watch from the person’s pocket, and accused the Helios store staff member of collusion. He further criticised the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel for their response, claiming they defended the accused and demanded an apology for his "rude behaviour."
Dr Mehta’s tweet quickly gained attention and was amplified by several news outlets without verifying the facts or seeking a response from the authorities.
CISF investigation debunks claims
The CISF, upon noticing the allegations, conducted a detailed investigation by reviewing CCTV footage. The footage revealed that Dr Mehta had taken his watch from the security tray himself and worn it before proceeding to the boarding gate. There was no evidence of interaction with any CISF personnel or suspicious behaviour by other individuals.
In its official statement, the CISF clarified, "The review of the CCTV has contradicted the sequence of events as narrated. After the security check, the passenger was seen wearing the watch and heading to the boarding gate without any interaction with CISF personnel. Posting such unsubstantiated messages creates unnecessary apprehension in the minds of passengers, hence avoidable."
Delhi Airport authorities also corroborated the CISF’s findings, emphasising that passenger safety and security are their top priorities.
Spread of misinformation
Despite the clarification by the CISF and Delhi Airport, the unverified claims were widely circulated by several media outlets, including propaganda platform @OpIndia_com, which republished the allegations without incorporating the official response. This further amplified the misinformation, contributing to unnecessary panic and divisive narratives.
Dr Mehta’s accusations specifically named individuals with Muslim names, raising concerns about the intent behind his statements. Critics on social media accused him of attempting to propagate communal narratives under the guise of a theft allegation. Following the debunking of his claims, Dr Mehta deleted his tweet.
Here are a few News reports based on his X post. How can propaganda outlet Opindia not report about it. pic.twitter.com/F4GcYAQXwC
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
