On Wednesday (June 28), a Pakistani Twitter handle named ‘South Asian Human Rights Watch (@SAHR_Watch)’ courted controversy after it tried to pass off a murder accused named Zarif Ansari as an ‘upper caste Hindu individual.’
In a tweet, it alleged, “In a shocking incident that has sent shockwaves across the nation, a retired Dalit PAC inspector was brutally beaten by an upper caste Hindu individual. The heart-wrenching assault sheds light on the prevailing discrimination faced by Dalits in India.”
The Pakistani Twitter handle further claimed, “The accused has since surrendered himself to the authorities. However, the victim’s condition remains critical, casting a stark spotlight on the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address the pervasive caste-based violence and safeguard the lives of Dalits in the country.”
‘South Asian Human Rights Watch (@SAHR_Watch) also shared a disturbing video wherein the accused, identified as one Zarif Ansari, could be seen bludgeoning the victim to death.
The Truth about the Viral Video
As per reports, the deceased was identified as a retired Dalit PAC police inspector named Garibdas. Zarif believed that the victim had an affair with his wife. On May 18 this year, he launched an unprovoked attack on Garibdas while the victim was sitting and chatting with a shop owner.
Within a matter of few seconds, the perpetrator hit the victim with a shovel for a total of 9 times. The incident took place in Sikhera village in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
After leaving Garibdas in a pool of blood, Zarif went to the Sikhera police station and surrendered his weapon. The cops rushed to the crime scene and admitted the victim to a hospital. The retired cop was shifted to Meerut for further medical treatment. He later succumbed to his injuries.
A police complaint was filed against the perpetrator by the victim’s family, following which a case was registered in connection to the case. It is thus clear that while the victim was a Dalit man, the murderer was a Muslim and not an ‘upper caste Hindu individual.’
Pakistani handle posing as a London-based human rights outfit
The Twitter handle ‘South Asian Human Rights Watch (@SAHR_Watch)’ claims to be a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, based in London in the United Kingdom.
In reality, it is a Pakistani-based handle, focused primarily on anti-India propaganda. The ‘South Asian Human Rights Watch (@SAHR_Watch)’ account is known for posting targeted disinformation, alongside graphic and disturbing videos.
While such a social media strategy, it has been able to amass a whopping 1.25 lakh followers. The Pakistani handle is known for portraying the Hindu community in a bad light by falsely attributing hate crimes against Dalits and Muslims to them.