News24 caught spreading 'Hinduphobic' fake news around Diwali festival

New Delhi: Hindi news channel News24 was caught spreading fake news hurting religious sentiments around the festival of Diwali.

The news channel owned by Anurradha Prasad and Congress leader Rajiv Shukla on Friday said that a man from Amroha lost his wife in gambling while playing cards. 

Hindu families play cards as a tradition during Diwali festivities.

News24 wrote on X that the incident was reported in Amroha.

जुए में हारने पर पत्नी को ही गिरवी रख आया पति

◆ महिला के भाई ने आकर बचाई लाज, 9 लोगों के खिलाफ एफआईआर दर्ज

◆ उत्तर प्रदेश के अमरोहा की है घटना #ViralStory #Crime #Dhanteras pic.twitter.com/dmpZvQZlsa

— News24 (@news24tvchannel) November 10, 2023

Amroha police called out the channel for spreading fake news and said that it was a case of dowry harassment against Suhail Ahmed from Amroha.

"In relation to the above case, please be informed that on the basis of the complaint filed by the applicant, a case has been registered against her husband Suhail Ahmed and other in-laws under dowry harassment and other relevant sections and advance legal proceedings are underway," said Amroha police.

महोदय उपरोक्त प्रकरण के सम्बन्ध मे कृप्या अवगत कराना है कि आवेदिका की तहरीर के आधार पर उसके पति सुहैल अहमद एवं अन्य ससुरालीजन पर दहेज उत्पीडन व अन्य सुसंगत धाराओ मे अभियोग पंजीकृत है तथा अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही प्रचलित है ।

— Amroha Police (@amrohapolice) November 11, 2023

Not only the channel did not offer any apology for fake news, but it also chose not to delete the original post.

Several X users called out News24 for not apologising for its Hinduphobic fake news as the channel just updated with the information provided by Amroha police regarding the incident in reply to its original post.