Story:
Real Kidnapping on Indian Street in Broad Daylight.
Two men on a motorbike wearing helmets ride up to a group of children playing on the street. The pillion rider grabs one little boy and the two men speed away on bike.
Fact Check:
A video shared on WhatsApp and other social media sites warns people by showing an alleged Real Kidnapping on Indian Street in Broad Daylight. In the video, few children are seen playing cricket on a street. Then couple of men wearing helmets come on bike and grab away one child in what is shown as a kidnapping incident in India. Between many such allegations of child kidnappings in various parts of India, the video unfortunately led to mob lynching and deaths of few people. The truth of the matter, however, is the video does not show a real kidnapping incident. As explained below, the footage comes from a Child Safety awareness video shot in Karachi, Pakistan.
Not Real Kidnapping on Indian Street
Yes, the video does not actually show a real kidnapping on Indian street. The short clip comes from an advertisement on Child Safety by a Pakistani NGO called Roshni Helpline. You can see the full video below. After lifting the child playing cricket on street, the two men on bike return to the spot and leave the child back. They also display a banner message pointing “it takes only a moment to kidnap a child from the streets of Karachi…”
The video was recorded on a street in Pakistan’s Capital City Karachi to spread awareness on increasing child kidnapping, advising caution. Someone took a clip from the NGO advertisement, edited and presented it as a real kidnapping incident in India. The video went viral on WhatsApp fueling again rumors of child kidnapping.
Kidnap Allegations Causing Mass Hysteria and Violence in India
In recent times, fake videos and messages like this have unfortunately created alarm among social media users – especially in rural areas. Despite some beliefs of child kidnapping rackets operating in various places of India, media and police have been denying them. Officials said the fake WhatsApp forwards about child kidnappings are causing panic among people. They sparked mass hysteria and lead to violent attacks on innocent people who appeared suspicious. Since at least May 2018, many mob lynching incidents took place in India, also causing few deaths of innocent people.
Not just in India, such violence took place in other countries like Brazil and Sri Lanka as well. Responding to the unfortunate killings, WhatsApp said it was horrified by them. The Pakistani NGO Roshni Helpline also expressed regret for their video meant to help caused mob lynching in India. The false messages aside, the problem seems to be in rural areas, where people quickly believe what is on their smartphones – sparking mass hysteria and violence.
Coming back to the story showing real Kidnapping on Indian street in broad daylight, it is a hoax. The video of two men with helmets lifting a child on bike from a street is part of a social awareness advertisement in Karachi, Pakistan. Nonetheless, in case of suspicion of child kidnapping people, officials in India warned public not to take law into their hands. They also warned public of severe punishment in case of violent attacks. It’s important to catch hold of any such people and hand over them to Police. Because like seen in cases mentioned above, getting violent with all suspicious people may cause fatal harm to innocent lives.
Hoax or Fact:
Hoax.
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