The video shot in Raisen, MP, started to circulate on social media after the Tablighi jamaat fiasco with many prominent right-wing as well as “liberal” voices attacking the community for deliberately spreading the virus. In the video, a Muslim fruit seller was seen licking his fingertips and touching fruits with it. While many outraged against the video as an attempt to spread coronavirus, a factcheck by AltNews revealed that the video was shot far back in February before coronavirus had been notified a public health emergency in India (March 14).
The man in the video was allegedly mentally unstable and had been caught on tape counting the fruits, not licking them. The footage was real and a police complaint was also filed against the fruit vendor. The fruit seller’s act may display questionable hygiene and for that, he is being investigated. But Raisen Superintendent of Police confirmed that there was no cause for fear of him spreading the virus.
In fact, no cases COVID-19 have been reported from Raisen yet. It seems the old video was twisted out of context and shared after the Tablighi Jamat incident with even television channels picking up the story of the “Corona-criminal”.
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