Fact Check: Viral photo does not show juvenile accused in Nirbhaya rape case
By Newsmeter Network Published on 19 Oct 2020 4:58 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A photo of a man in a white t-shirt being escorted by the police has been doing the rounds of social media. It is being claimed that he is Mohammed Afroz, the juvenile who was involved in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder.
The text in Hindi superimposed on the photo translates to, "2012 Nirbhaya rape criminal Mohammed Afroz is now an adult. Should he be hanged now? Say yes and raise your voice." (archived post)
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FACT CHECK:
This claim is FALSE.
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found an article by Hindustan Times from February 2020. According to the report, the man in the viral photo is Vinay Sharma, one of the four men accused in the December 2012 Delhi gang rape case.
The New Indian Express also identified the man as Vinay Sharma. He, along with three other convicts, was scheduled to be hanged on 3 March 2020 at 6 a.m.
Also, the reports did not show the juvenile's face or describe what he looks like and neither disclosed his name. Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, prohibits disclosure of the identity of a minor. This proves that the man in the photo is neither the juvenile accused in the case nor is he identified as Mohammed Afroz.
The man in the picture is not the juvenile but is Vinay Sharma, one of the four convicts hanged in the Nirbhaya case. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
