Uttar Pradesh politician misidentified as KIIT suicide case accused’s father
The Verdict [False]
The man in the viral image is a local politician from Lucknow and is not related to the accused in the KIIT suicide case.
(Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised.)
What is the claim?
An image of a man wearing an orange shawl, flanked by three others, has gone viral online, claiming that it shows Manoj Srivastava, father of Advik Srivastava. Advik, a 21-year-old student, has been arrested after his batchmate died by suicide at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University (KIIT) in the Indian state of Odisha's Bhubaneswar.
Several social media users shared an image of a Facebook profile named 'ManojK Srivastava,' stating that Srivastava “leads a BJP junior wing” and is a “famous builder in Lucknow." We found that the claim first surfaced on Reddit, and while the original post has been deleted, a screenshot of the post was shared on other social media platforms.
Archived versions of similar posts can be found here, here, and here.
The university has seen massive protests since February 15, 2025, after the death of a 20-year-old Nepalese student in her hostel room following alleged harassment by a fellow student, Advik Srivastava. Hundreds of students staged protests against the university management, demanding a thorough investigation. Initially, faced with protests, the university decided to send the students back to Nepal, but after an intervention from the Nepal Embassy and the Nepalese Prime Minister, this decision was rescinded. The Odisha government has formed a fact-finding committee, and police have arrested Advik and four others.
However, the man in the now-viral image is not Advik's father and is unrelated to the KIIT suicide case. We found that the man, Manoj Srivastava, is a local politician from Lucknow, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
What did we find?
A keyword search on Facebook led us to the account mentioned in the viral image, which belongs to a man named Manoj Srivastava . His bio states that he is from Lucknow and is the national president of Bharatiya Kesariya Vahini, a local Hindu outfit. We also found that the same person has another Facebook account (archived here) with the same name. This account’s bio mentions that Srivastava is a social worker and founder of the Uttar Pradesh-based political party Rashtravyapi Janata Party.
A reverse image search of the viral image led us to another Facebook account, 'Manoj Srivastava Fan Club', which posted a similar picture (archived here) on August 10, 2023. The post has been shared without a caption and adds no context to the image.
Further search led us to a video shared by Srivastava on his YouTube channel (archived here) on February 18, 2025. In the video, he clarified that he is not related to the KIIT student accused and his son is not studying at any engineering college in Odisha.
In the video, he can be heard saying, “Recently, in Odisha, a third-year Nepali student at an engineering college in Bhubaneswar was killed, and a boy named Advik Srivastava was arrested as the main accused. Now, social media and news reports are claiming that Advik Srivastava is my son. I want to clarify through social media that none of my sons are studying at an engineering college in Odisha. I have no connection to that boy in any way. I also request the Odisha police to conduct a thorough investigation."
The same video can be found on both his Facebook accounts (archived here and here).
Odisha, Pinak Mishra, saying that the accused is the son of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Lucknow. Another report by the same outlet published on the same day states that the accused is the son of a civil engineer from Lucknow. However, none of these reports mentioned the name of the accused's father.
We also contacted the Bhubaneswar Police and Mahendra Kumar Sahu, inspector in charge of the Infocity Police Station in Bhubaneswar, who told us that the viral claim is false. He added that the accused’s father is a civil engineer in Lucknow, not the person seen in the viral image.
The verdict
A politician from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, named Manoj Srivastava, has been falsely identified as the father of the accused in the KIIT suicide case.
(This story was originally published by logicallyfacts.com, and republished by english.varthabharati.in as part of the Shakti Collective)
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India, Ethiopia elevate ties to strategic partnership as PM Modi holds talks with his counterpart
Addis Ababa (PTI): India and Ethiopia on Tuesday elevated their historical ties to a strategic partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali during which they discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interest.
Modi, who arrived here from Jordan on his maiden bilateral visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace ahead of the bilateral talks, reflecting the vibrant India-Ethiopia relations rooted in shared history and a promising future.
"We are elevating India and Ethiopia relations to a strategic partnership. This step will provide new energy, new momentum and new depth to our ties," Prime Minister Modi said during the delegation-level talks.
He thanked PM Ali for his support in India's fight against terrorism. "The support of friendly countries in this struggle against terrorism holds great significance," Modi said.
"Today, we got the opportunity to deliberate on the key aspects of our cooperation, such as economy, innovation, technology, defence, health, capacity-building and multilateral cooperation. I am pleased that today, we have decided to double the student scholarship for Ethiopia in India," Modi said.
Modi said that India and Ethiopia have shared contact, dialogue, and exchange for thousands of years. The two countries, which are rich in languages and traditions, are symbols of unity in diversity, he added.
"Both countries are democratic powers committed to peace and the welfare of humanity. We are co-travellers and partners of the Global South. On international platforms, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder," he said.
The two sides signed eight MoUs/agreements, including upgrading ties to 'Strategic Partnership', customs cooperation, establishing data center at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, UN Peacekeeping training cooperation, debt restructuring under G20, more ICCR scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare.
Modi said the African Union's headquarters in Ethiopia makes the country a meeting point of African diplomacy. "Inspired by the common vision of an inclusive world, in 2023, India ensured that the African Union became a G20 member," he said.
In 2023, during India’s G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.
Modi said that though this is his first visit, he felt a deep sense of belonging and warmth, reflecting the thousands of years of connection between the two countries.
On his part, Prime Minister Ali said the two countries share over thousands of years of connection through trade, diplomacy, education, culture and even in our food and traditions. "These ties continue to shape a deep friendship, collaboration and mutual respect between our people," he said.
"We also appreciate your consistent message that Africa's priorities must lead the partnership. These kinds of dignified, respectful messages for Africa are very important. Mr Prime Minister, keep pushing. That is the type of message we are expecting from all our trusted friends," Ali said.
He said this aligned fully with Ethiopia's development plan - African-owned, African-led, and African-defined.
"Today, we meet with a clear focus to shape a modern partnership, grounded in sovereignty, self-reliance and practical cooperation. Our cooperation is rooted in equality and South-South solidarity," he said.
"Our economy is performing strongly. Last year, we grew 9.2% and this year we are expecting 10.3% GDP growth. Besides GDP growth, our FDI inflow is also rising big time. India is the leading source for our FDI," he said.
"We have more than 615 Indian companies which are investing in Ethiopia. This all gives our cooperation a strong foundation of trust. I think our decision today that we elevate our historic relationship to a strategic relationship is the right decision," he added.
Ethiopia also conferred its highest award - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia - on PM Modi. He is the first global head of state to receive this award.
Prime Minister Modi also went to the Friendship Park and Friendship Square in Addis Ababa with PM Ali.
In a warm and special gesture, PM Modi was earlier received by his Ethiopian counterpart at the airport and accorded a warm and colourful welcome.
"Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture," Modi said.
PM Ali informed his Indian counterpart about the varieties of Ethiopian coffee during informal talks.
"At Addis Ababa airport, took part in a traditional Coffee Ceremony with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The ceremony beautifully highlights Ethiopia’s rich heritage," Modi said.
In a unique gesture, the Ethiopian Prime Minister drove Modi to the hotel.
On the way, he took a special initiative of taking PM Modi to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary.
"Gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for showing me glimpses of Ethiopian history and culture at the National Palace Museum in Addis Ababa. It was a powerful reminder of Ethiopia’s rich traditions," Modi said in a post on X.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ethiopian PM’s special gestures show remarkable respect for Modi, sources said.
"Thank you Ethiopia for a welcome that was unforgettable. The Indian community showed remarkable warmth and affection. India-Ethiopia friendship is going to get even more robust in the times to come," Modi said.
When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was warmly welcomed by the members of the Indian community. Local artists performed dances. Some of them danced on the theme of the popular Hindi song 'Aisa Des Hai Mera' to welcome him.
On Wednesday, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on India's journey as the "Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South.
PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace on Monday before the delegation-level talks.
India and Jordan also inked MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora, aimed at giving a major boost to bilateral ties and friendship.
From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour.
