In a tragic accident that took place on Sunday, Pranita Mehta, a 21-year-old student of the National Law University, was swept into the sea by a strong tidal current in Gokarna.

However, matters took an uglier turn when several leading Indian newspapers began attributing Pranita’s death to a selfie. Reported by media houses like The Times of India and The Hindu, the story of an alleged failed selfie attempt which ended in the mishap, soon went viral.