Viral pictures and videos claiming illegal organ trade of corona virus patients are not true.
A set of images along with few videos are viral on all the social media platforms with the following text:
“महारष्ट्र: एक व्यक्ति को हल्की सी सर्दी बुखार खांसी हुई तो चेक करवाने गया तो उसे पाॅजिटिव बता कर जबरदस्ती भर्ती कर दिए, फिर अचानक उसकी मुत्यु हो जाती है और पूरी बाॅडी पैक करके जलाने की तैयारी की जाती है फिर परिवार के जिद्द पर जब बाॅडी खोला जाता है तो शरीर के सारे अंग गायब..!”
Translation : Maharashtra: When a person has a mild cold fever, he goes to the hospital for getting it checked, then he is forcefully admitted by telling him to be COVID positive, then suddenly he dies and the entire body is packed for burning it and then when the body is opened after the family insists then, all body parts are found to be missing in that body ..!
Claim: The viral picture and video claims that in Maharashtra when a person complains about his mild fever then he goes to a hospital for a checkup. After the checkup, he is declared COVID positive forcefully and then he is admitted to the hospital. Later on, he dies and the body is packed for the cremation i.e. burning. When the family of the deceased insists that the body should be opened before them then they find out that all body parts are missing.
एक व्यक्ति को हल्की सी सर्दी बुखार खांसी हुई तो चेक करवाने गया तो उसे पाॅजिटिव बता कर जबरदस्ती भर्ती कर दिए, फिर अचानक उसकी मुत्यु हो जाती है और पूरी बाॅडी पैक करके जलाने की तैयारी की जाती है फिर परिवार के जिद्द पर जब बाॅडी खोला जाता है तो शरीर के सारे अंग गायब pic.twitter.com/5rMaXxxpp0
— Anu (@Anu57318631) July 21, 2020
महारष्ट्र: एक व्यक्ति को हल्की सी सर्दी बुखार खांसी हुई तो चेक करवाने गया तो उसे पाॅजिटिव बता कर जबरदस्ती भर्ती कर दिए, फिर अचानक उसकी मुत्यु हो जाती है और पूरी बाॅडी पैक करके जलाने की तैयारी की जाती है फिर परिवार के जिद्द पर जब बाॅडी खोला जाता है तो शरीर के सारे अंग गायब..!👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/W3pwvN2Z8z
— Mufti Wahiduzzaman Siddequey (@MuftiWahidSdy) July 21, 2020
Truth
Well, we investigated the viral images and videos separately.
Viral Pics:
With the help of Google reverse image search, we got a Facebook post of 18th July 2020.
Facebook post of one Versha Verma from Lucknow who works at an NGO called ‘Ek Divya Endeavor’. This NGO facilitates funeral for people with no family or relatives. On July 18, 2020, Verma had posted six images (that include all the viral images) on her profile. In her Facebook post, she wrote that the dead body was of an unidentified 43-year-old woman. The dead body was collected from King George’s Medical University Lucknow’s postmortem department and then it was cremated at Bhesa Kund for electric cremation. She also clarified on her Facebook post dated 23rd July 2020 that when these images went viral with a false narrative she also filed a complaint with the Lucknow Police cyber cell in this regard.
Therefore in our investigation, the claims made about these viral images were found to be false and they don’t have any connection with Maharashtra. Later on even Aaj Tak also carried out a story in this regard mentioning the legal steps taken by Versha Verma.
Viral Videos :
The text with the viral videos claims that this incident happened in Manori which is a village located in the Dharavi Bhet area of northern Mumbai. With the help of Google keyword search, we found a YouTube channel ‘On Record Mira Bhayandar’ published a ground report where they spoke with Arvind Shetty, a resident of Manori.
As per Shetty, someone did test positive, however, no COVID-19 related deaths have occurred in the area so far. Thus, refuting social media claims. He also stated that locals don’t trust institutional quarantine centers at Charkop and Malad because of issues such as poor waste management and delay in the food service. We also found a news article in the local newspaper Saamna which carried out a report in this regard on 20th July 2020.
The story in Saamna stated that no person died due to COVID-19 in Manori. Thus, there is no question of a dead body. Therefore in our investigation the claims made on this video were found to false.
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