Who is Matheus Ferrero, Brazilian photographer whose image RaGa flagged in “vote chori” claim?
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday displayed a photograph he said appeared on multiple voter identity entries in Haryana and alleged large-scale fraud. The image shown during his “H-Files” briefing traces back not to a Haryana resident but to a portfolio shot by Brazilian photographer Matheus Ferrero, who posts freely licensed model images on stock sites. Rahul Gandhi said the same picture featured on several voter IDs, an example, he said, of how bogus entries were passed off as real voters.
What the image is, and who made it
The photograph in question appears on Matheus Ferrero’s online photography pages and on free stock-photo repositories (Unsplash, Pexels, IsoRepublic and others) where Ferrero uploads fashion and portrait images that are available for download and reuse. Ferrero is a Belo Horizonte–based photographer whose portfolio has been widely circulated on these platforms.
Is the woman in the photo identified?
News organisations that traced the picture say the model’s identity remains unknown. Reports note the image has been available on stock sites for years and widely circulated online; investigators and journalists have not been able to confirm that the woman is the same person named on any voter list, or that she ever visited Haryana. In short: the photograph is a stock image, not proof that a foreign national voted in the state.
What Rahul Gandhi alleged
Gandhi used the photo as one example in a broader charge that some 2.5 million votes in Haryana were “stolen” across several alleged methods duplicate voters, misuse of forms, bulk entries and more. He said the same picture appeared under different names and at multiple polling booths, arguing this showed a centralised operation to manipulate the rolls.
How authorities and media have reacted so far
Media checks have established that the image shown by Gandhi is available on Ferrero’s stock-photo pages. News outlets reporting on the claim have pointed out that stock images are commonly reused online and that a match between a stock photo and a voter ID image does not, by itself, prove who actually filled out or used a voter card. Election officials in the past have asked for formal proof when such allegations were made and have urged parties to submit signed declarations and precise evidence for verification. The Election Commission and state CEOs have in earlier episodes sought documentation before acting on such claims.
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Massive fire destroys 10 fishing boats in Kerala's Kollam
Kollam (Kerala) (PTI): Around 10 fishing boats, anchored in Ashtamudi Lake here, were gutted as a massive fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday, police said.
The incident happened in the Kureepuzha area under the Anchalumood police station limit.
According to police, the blaze was first spotted past midnight, and the boats anchored in a row caught fire.
Local people and fire force personnel pressed into action to check the further spread.
"As per the preliminary assessment, around 10 boats were destroyed completely. The exact cause is yet to be identified, but a gas cylinder blast is suspected," a police officer said.
No casualty has been reported so far, police added.
