Once again, Alt News, the so-called fact-checking website, stands exposed with its propaganda wide open. On April 10, the co-founder of the portal, Mohammad Zubair, shared a post defending the murderer, Mohammad Sajid, who killed two minor boys in Badaun with a barber’s knife. The Uttar Pradesh police fact-checked the post on the spot and rebuked the alleged journalist for misrepresenting facts and spreading fake information.
In his post, Zubair wrote, “Any update on the motive of the brutal double murder of minors in Badaun by Sajid? The father of the kids on March 24 had set his bike on fire as the real reason behind the murder of the two children was not yet revealed by then, any update by @bhdaunpolice on the motive…”
To this post by Zubair, the Badaun Police replied, “In connection with the above case, necessary investigative action is being taken by the local police station, Civil Lines. Please do not try to spoil the atmosphere by posting unnecessary things. Legal action will be taken against those who post unnecessary things after an investigation.”
उक्त प्रकरण के संबंध मे स्थानीय थाना सिविल लाइन पुलिस द्वारा आवश्यक विवेचनात्मक कार्यवाही की जा रही है। कृपया अनावश्यक पोस्ट कर माहौल बिगाड़ने की कोशिश ना करे। अनावश्यक पोस्ट करने वालो की जांच कर उनके विरूद्ध कानूनी कार्यवाही की जायेगी।
— Budaun Police (@budaunpolice) April 10, 2024
Ironically, after being fact-checked, Zubair deleted his post from X.
Again @zoo_bear deletes tweet after running Hateful Propaganda. pic.twitter.com/3A7Dwfxd7d
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) April 11, 2024
Notably, two innocent Hindu children, aged 6 and 14, were mercilessly butchered to death on the evening of March 19 by Sajid and Javed. The victims, identified as Ahan and Ayush, fell prey to the heinous act perpetrated by Sajid, whose life met a dramatic end in a subsequent encounter with the Uttar Pradesh police.
According to the FIR, the accused, Sajid, who was killed in an encounter, told the children’s mother that he wanted money as his wife was about to deliver a child. When she went inside to take money, he said that he was feeling unwell and wanted to go for a walk on the terrace and took the two minor boys with him.
As recounted in the FIR, Sangita stumbled upon a chilling scene as she emerged with the money, witnessing Sajid and Javed descending the stairs, brandishing a blood-stained knife.
The mother’s worst fears were realised when she discovered her two sons lying lifeless in a pool of blood on the roof. Despite the chaos, Piyush narrowly escaped the assailants’ wrath.
“Sajid also tried to attack my surviving son and he sustained injuries. Both were running away and Sajid told my wife that today he had completed his work,” the FIR reads.
The accused ran a barber shop in front of the children’s residence. He had demanded Rs 5,000 from the children’s mother but murdered the two boys despite his demand being accepted.
The second accused, identified as Mohammad Javed, was arrested in Bareilly on March 21.
Eyewitness accounts, including that of the surviving brother of the deceased children, shed light on the horrific events leading to the murders. The eyewitness recounted how the accused barged into their home, led the victims to the terrace, unleashed a brutal assault and allegedly drank the blood of the minors following the killings.
Readers should know that this is not the first time that the controversial portal ‘Alt News’ or its founder Zubair has defended a murderer of shared fake news or half videos on the social media platform. He is the same person who shared a chopped clip of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and leashed ‘Sar Tan see Juda’ mob on her. The mob did not stop at Nupur and led to the religiously motivated killings of many Hindus across the country, most notable of them being Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe in Amravati.
Notably, Zubair issued multiple threats against Sharma and her family for expressing her views on Prophet Muhammad and Islam. Sharma was part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu gods and goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery.
It is pertinent to mention here that, on April 9, Delhi’s Karkardooma Court, during the bail application of Umar Khalid, who stands accused in connection with the 2020 Anti-Hindu Riots, underscored Khalid’s associations with contentious news platforms such as ‘The Wire’ and ‘Alt News’, as well as his interactions with controversial figures like Swara Bhasker, Sushant Singh, Pooja Bhatt, and others.
Opposing the bail plea, the Delhi Police said that Khalid put a “larger conspiracy” at play, citing his conversations with influential individuals possessing significant social media followings.
The prosecution highlighted how Khalid communicated with the Alt News team. Though Alt News asked to quote him, Khalid declined, and Alt News complied.
