Amid the rising controversy around the film, ‘The Kerala Story’ some media reports claimed that 40,000 women went missing in Gujarat as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2016 to 2020. However, the Gujarat police fact-checked the reports with numbers claiming out of 41,621 women who had gone missing, approximately 95 per cent, or 39,497 women were traced and reunited with their families.
The police added that the data is part of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), New Delhi, which was cited by many media organisations to claim that over 40,000 women had been missing in Gujarat.
https://twitter.com/GujaratPolice/status/1655562504242868224?s=20
Taking it to Twitter the Gujarat police from their official Twitter Handle wrote, “Out of 41,621 women gone missing during the period 2016-20 as per the data published in Crime in India-2020 published by National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), New Delhi, 39,497 (94.90%) of the missing women have been traced by Gujarat Police and they are united with their families. The said information is also part of Crime in India, 2020,” the Gujarat Police tweeted.
Based on the police investigation, the primary reasons for women going missing are identified as family disputes, elopement, and academic failures, among other factors. The police, however, clarified that the investigation into missing person cases has not revealed any “episodes of trafficking for sexual exploitation, organ trafficking, etc.”
Shockingly these reports were endorsed by big media channels including New Indian Express, News 24 and other social media influencers and Congress leaders. The big names sharing the story include Radio Jockey Saema, who comments on minority issues and often makes controversial statements against the ruling party and the majority of Hindus in the country. Joining her was the controversial journalist and The Wire fame Arfa Khanum, who is known to be behind the ruling party since the Gujarat riots.
https://twitter.com/pitchaijohn1961/status/1655223835967275013?s=20
The figures showed up immediately after the release and demanded the ban against the film ‘The Kerala Story’. The film dropped a teaser last year which showed how 32,000 non-Muslim women were forced into Islamic conversion and were later inducted into ISIS.
Notably, after pleas were heard at the Kerala High Court, the makers removed the part from the film and took down the teaser claiming that 32,000 women were converted and inducted into ISIS. This was a generalised figure, as said the makers.
Even after the court’s approval, the film is banned in West Bengal and parts of Tamil Nadu.
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