A fake message claiming an increase in child kidnapping cases across Kashmir carried out by a Srinagar-based gang is circulating on WhatsApp and other social media. The viral message further states that the police have issued notices to mosques over reports of abductions of a noticeable number of children.
BOOM found the claim in the graphic post to be false. Srinagar Police, in a tweet, clarified that no such incident has come to their notice and urged citizens not to fall prey to fake rumours.
The latest WhatsApp message comes at a time when fake child-kidnapping rumours have seen a spike across social media platforms and on WhatsApp in India. BOOM has done a number of fact-checks debunking fake child kidnapping rumours that as spread in the form of videos, text messages, and voice notes. In several instances, dramatised videos of child kidnappings made by video content creators are being shared as real incidents. Read more about it here.
The viral message claims, "Alert alert. A gang of child abductors has spread in many areas of Kashmir. This gang belongs to Srinagar. The police have issued notices in mosques in many areas and alerted everyone. Take care of your children. Don't let women go out with them alone. Dozens of children have been abducted from Kashmir. For God's sake, don't send your children alone to friends homes and schools. Please forward this message and share it with all your contacts."
Click here to view the post.
Click here to view the post.
Fact Check
BOOM found a tweet from Srinagar Police's official handle replying to a Twitter user who asked about the authenticity of the same message circulating on WhatsApp groups.
The tweet says, "This information isn't authentic, nothing of this sort has come to notice of Police. Citizens are requested not to fall prey to rumours."
Click here to view the tweet.
We also found an article by Kashmiri news outlet Rising Kashmir published on September 16, 2022 while looking for the reports on recent child kidnapping incidents happened in Kashmir.
The article reported about another rumour of child abductions by some unknown non-locals in Central Kashmir's Ganderbal district. Jammu and Kashmir police then also refuted the claims and mentioned that the matter got verified on ground.
However, we found a recent NDTV report on the abduction and rescue of a six-month-old child from a hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. The report from September 28, 2022 stated that the child was abducted by a burqa-clad woman but recovered within seven hours from Gudhali chowk with the help of CCTV cameras.