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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Mahakumbh Nagar (PTI): A day after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh left 30 dead, the Uttar Pradesh government ramped up efforts to ensure crowd management and safety of devotees who continued to flock here in large numbers for the religious gathering.
The devotees braved the pre-dawn chill and dense fog to take a dip in the Sangam and at other ghats here on Thursday.
More than 55.11 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip till 8:00 am, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Anshuman Mishra told PTI that the area would remain a no-vehicle zone until the crowd disperses completely.
"Vehicle passes will not be valid until all devotees have safely left for their destinations. No outside vehicles would be allowed to enter the city until the crowd exits the Mela area," he said.
However, senior officials may grant permission for vehicle entry based on the situation, he said.
Mishra clarified that essential services such as police administration vehicles, ambulances and suction machines would be allowed entry as they are crucial for the smooth management of the Maha Kumbh.
Pilgrims, including women and children, were seen walking to and fro the various ghats amid reduced visibility. Many had thin blankets covering their bodies while some stopped by bonfires along the routes to keep themselves warm.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar are scheduled to reach here later in the day for a detailed probe into the stampede.
The top officers would also conduct a thorough review of the arrangements in the Mela area, Chief Minister Adityanath said on Wednesday night.
"Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami (Feb 3 - Amrit Snan)," he said.
In a bid to further strengthen the arrangements, the Uttar Pradesh government will also be deploying two former senior officers on Mela duty -- Ashish Goyal, who served as divisional commissioner of Prayagraj for the 2019 Kumbh, and Bhanu Goswami, former vice chairman of the Agra Development Authority.
Additionally, five special secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations. All of them will remain in Prayagraj till February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements, Adityanath said.
Besides 30 deaths, 60 people were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.
Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said the incident took place due to crowd pressure. The crowd broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there, he said.
On Wednesday, more than 7.64 crore devotees had a 'snan' at the Maha Kumbh, the highest in a single day so far. The footfall since the beginning of the mega event had crossed 27.58 crore by the end of Wednesday, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Maha Kumbh kicked off on January 13 and will continue till February 26.