CLAIM

A three-year-old news report with incorrect information is being recirculated by many prominent, verified Twitter handles with huge following. This includes journalist Saba Naqvi, Mahila Congress leader Lavanya Ballal, Pakistani columnist Arif Rafiq questioning the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government and tolerance of ‘Hindu’ religion.

The news report shared by many said that a 90-year-old Dalit man was burnt alive for trying to enter a temple in Hamirpur district of UP.

While sharing the news, Naqvi claimed that this horrific incident is the reason that India needs Dalit leaders like

and Prakash Ambedkar, and Bhim Army as “pressure points”.

The sort of thing in our country that horrifies... And the reason a mayawati, bhim army , Prakash ambedkar needed… https://t.co/Jc3r3canUx — Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) 1538925034000

Professor of Peace & Conflict Research, and UNESCO Chair of International Water Cooperation Ashok Swain, who claims to hate

as per his Twitter bio, shared the news with an apparent dig at

.

Swain says, “Why are Dalits in India tolerating these barbaric cruelties? Is this our most tolerant and inclusive religion?”

Why are Dalits in India tolerating these barbaric cruelties? Is this our most tolerant and inclusive religion? https://t.co/VKCwrn6me6 — Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) 1538946454000

Arif Rafiq, an American of Pakistani descent, and a columnist with Express Tribune, also shared the old news with incorrect claim.

A 90-year-old Dalit man was axed and then set on fire after he tried to enter a Hindu temple in the Indian state of… https://t.co/uxvZIjU4NN — Arif Rafiq (@ArifCRafiq) 1538923456000

Lavanya Ballal, National Social Media Coordinator at Mahila Congress and spokesperson for Congress Party’s Karnataka unit, wondered what “Ajay Kumar Bisht” (

’s real name) was doing to improve law and order in UP. She questioned if Dalit lives mattered to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Omg ! Is there law and order in UP? What’s Ajay KUMAR bhist doing ? Don’t #Dalit lives matter to @BJP4India 90yr-o… https://t.co/hT9uRfUDIZ — Lavanya Ballal (@LavanyaBallal) 1538999072000

Apart from these, many other accounts tweeted the same old false news report to attack UP CM Yogi.

TRUTH

Firstly, the news report being shared by these handles is dated October 5, 2015. During this time, Samajwadi Party was in power with

as the chief minister of the state.

Secondly, the incident was misreported as the 90-year-old man wasn’t killed for trying to enter the temple. He was hacked to death by a drunkard for refusing to part with his money.

VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGY

After scouting for a similar news report covering the incident in Times of India, we found a story dated October 3, 2015, in which the Hamirpur Police refused any caste angle to the death of old man. It denied that the man was killed for entering the temple.

“Hamirpur police said the killing took place in Bilgaon village when 90-year-old Khimma Ahirwar was going to a temple. He was accompanied by his wife, Basanti, and a relative. On the way, they encountered a drunken Sanjay Tiwari, who demanded money from Ahirwar. When Ahirwar refused, the accused attacked him with an axe. Basanti and the relative fled from the spot. After Ahirwar died, Tiwari burned the body. Alerted by Basanti, villagers went to the crime scene, overpowered Tiwari and handed him over to the police,” read the report.

“The accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time he committed the crime,” Hamirpur SP Muniraj G told TOI. “We’ve arrested him and are further investigating the matter.”

The details of the story can be found

.

VERDICT

Times fact-check team has found the claims of old Dalit man being killed for entering a temple to be untrue. The news article being widely shared is not just three years old but also incorrect.