DigitEye India Fact Checkers
A video showing the rooftops of some houses in drone surveillance by Ranchi Police is going viral on social media with a tweaked claim that some houses of Muslims have kept stones on terraces to attack during the Ram Navami procession. The video went viral on April 16, 2024, a day before the Ram Navami festival.
Shocking. While employing drones to survey tomorrow’s Ram Navami procession route – Lake Road, Main road, Hindpidi – Ranchi police to their astonishment discovered as many as ten homes with large quantities of stones stocked up on their roofs. pic.twitter.com/RxOX7qyjUv
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) April 16, 2024
The claim reads: “Shocking. While employing drones to survey tomorrow’s Ram Navami procession route – Lake Road, Main road, Hindpidi – Ranchi police to their astonishment discovered as many as ten homes with large quantities of stones stocked up on their roofs.
It was shared here, here, and here.
Jharkhand: In a major success Ranchi Police has thwarted potential communal violence on #RamNavami tomorrow.
The Police has discovered terraces of atleast 10 houses stacked up with stones, with the help of drones. Notices issued pic.twitter.com/CAhDYHfVJ7
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) April 16, 2024
FACT CHECK
When Digiteye India checked for more such tweets, it came across a denial by the Ranchi Police officially on their handle @RanchiPolice. It stated there is no communal angle to the drone surveillance and added that bricks on rooftops were for construction-related activity and the building owners who were sent notices comprised of both Hindus and Muslims.
जुलूस के मार्गों की ड्रोन से निगरानी एक सामान्य प्रशासनिक प्रक्रिया है। यह अनेक जिलों में किया जाता है और यदि किसी के छत पर कोई निर्माण सामग्री यथा पत्थर ,ईट ,बालू आदि पड़ा रहता है तो उसे हटाने के लिए संबंधित @JharkhandPolice @Lathkar_IPS @amolhomkar_IPS @NBTBihar https://t.co/7GLMqvxjMC
— Ranchi Police (@ranchipolice) April 16, 2024
When translated the above tweet reads: “Drone monitoring of procession routes is a common administrative process. This is done in many districts and if any construction material such as stones, bricks, sand etc. is lying on someone’s roof, then the concerned @JharkhandPolice @Lathkar_IPS @amolhomkar_IPS @NBTBihar is asked to remove it.”
Soon, Ranchi Police has issued several tweets warning that action will be taken against the culprits as seen above and below:
Another post by Ranchi Police when translated said: “The house owners were called. Such a notice was given to the house owners in Ranchi district also. There is no communal or conspiracy dimension in this. It is not legal for any news channel to run sensational news like *exposing a conspiracy* without any solid basis.” Hence, the claim is false.
Claim: A video showing the rooftops of some houses in drone surveillance by Ranchi Police shared with a claim that some houses of Muslims have kept stones on terraces to attack the Ram Navami procession.
Conclusion: The claim is false. Ranchi Police clarified in several tweets that it was a routine check and warned the culprits not to give any communal angle to the visuals.
Rating: Misrepresentation — 
