Fact Check: ANI's video of "Pak 'Accepting' Balakot Deaths" was doctored; Indian media runs story
New Delhi: Days after a video surfaced by news agency ANI was carried by various media houses, claiming that a former Pakistani diplomat had admitted that India carried out Balakot Airstrike and more than 300 people were killed in the attack, a fact-check by Alt News has revealed that the video clip that the news was based on was manipulated.
Several media houses including India Today, Republic, and others had carried the report by news agency ANI on former Pakistani diplomat “Agha Hilaly” admitting on the Pakistani News Channel debate that 300 terrorists had died in the Balakot Airstrike on February 26, 2019.
The report said: "The admission by the former Pakistani diplomat, who regularly takes the Pakistan Army side in TV debates, goes against the zero casualties claim made by Islamabad at that time."
"India crossed the international border and did an act of war in which at least 300 were reported dead. Our target was different from theirs. We targeted their high command. That was our legitimate target because they are men of the military. We subconsciously accepted that a surgical strike -- a limited action -- did not result in any casualty. Now we have subconsciously told them that, whatever they will do, we'll do only that much and won't escalate," ANI quoted "Agha Hilaly" as saying.
But a fact-check by "Alt News" found that the comments were misreported and the ex-diplomat who made the comments was "Zafar Hilaly".
In the debate posted on YouTube by HUM news as part of a program called "Agenda Pakistan", Hilaly said, "What you did, India, was an act of war. India ne jo kiya, international boundary ko cross karke ek act of war. Jisme kam se kam 300 logo ko unhone marna tha. (What India did was an act of war. By crossing the international boundary India committed an act of war in which they intended to kill at least 300 people)."
The very next sentence has the former diplomat saying: "Ittifaqan vo nahi mare, humne [India ne] ek football field ko bomb kiya. (Coincidentally, they [Pakistani people] did not die and India bombed a football field.)"
Zafar Hilaly also tweeted a video saying his statement was spliced and edited.
Alt News said a version of the video posted on Twitter had an abrupt cut "around 0:7-0:9 seconds" and the word "marna (to kill)" sounds as if Hilaly said "mara (killed)".
The news has since been removed by websites
— Zafar Hilaly (@ZafarHilaly) January 9, 2021
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UP: Govt hospital staff booked for sexually assaulting woman in pretext of ultrasound test
Gorakhpur (PTI): A hospital employee was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the pretext of an ultrasound test here in the district women's hospital, police said on Saturday.
According to the complaint, the woman, a resident of the Gulriha area, visited the district women's hospital on Thursday morning for an ultrasound test.
She was directed to a room, where Abhimanyu Gupta was conducting ultrasounds. When her turn came, the accused allegedly stared at her and told her to remove all her clothes, claiming it was necessary for the test and that a massage would also be required, she said.
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The woman alleged that once she complied, the accused began making obscene advances and tried to force himself on her. When she screamed, he allegedly gagged her, abused her and threatened to kill her before pushing her out of the room.
She said her complaints within the hospital went unheard, forcing her to approach the police.
Taking cognisance of the complaint, the hospital administration constituted a three-member inquiry committee, officials said.
Senior consultant (paediatrics) Dr Jay Kumar said, "The woman has levelled serious allegations against a staff member. Senior officials have been informed, and a departmental inquiry is underway. Strict action will be taken if the charges are proved."
Kotwali Station House Officer Chatrapal Singh said a case has been registered, and efforts are on to nab the accused.
