Congress minister DK Shivakumar was surrounded by allegations of corruption when a fake video showing cash in closets and drawers went viral. The video claimed to contain visuals of the income tax raid on the Karnataka minister.
The video was shared by Durga Menon on Twitter with the caption, "DK Shivkumar's home with just one Locker room opened..Congis whr will u hide ur faces??? @INCIndia @OfficeOfRG".
It is interesting to note DurgaMenon's Twitter account is followed by PM Narendra Modi and Power Minister Piyush Goyal, among other BJP leaders. (hindustantimes.com)
The 40 second video that Durga Menon claims to have received on whatsapp is originally of an Income Tax raid on T&T law firm founded by Rohit Tandon in Delhi conducted by the Delhi Police Department in 2016. Tweets about the raid that seized over Rs 8 crore was posted by correspondents who covered the news last year. (hindustantimes.com)
The fake news spread like fire also because the income tax department has recently raided about 64 places in Delhi and Karnataka linked to energy minister DK Shivakumar. They are still investigating the politician's alleged tax evasion and dodgy investments in real estate. Shivakumar was hosting a group of Congress legislators from Gujarat to avoid a break in their ranks ahead of a close Rajya Sabha election. (hindustantimes.com)
The social media, of late, has been grappling with the challenge of fake news and some them have trickled into traditional media outlets leading to the spread of disinformation and confusion. (hindustantimes.com)
People need to be more careful while posting such videos and should ensure the credibility of the source before putting any forwarded information on any social media platforms.