Hyderabad: A photograph of a padlocked grave has gone viral on Saturday. It was connected to increased instances of ‘necrophilia’ in Pakistan in media reports and social media posts, with the assertion that the image is an example of how mothers lock their daughters’ graves in Pakistan to avoid rape.
ANI Digital tweeted a link to the story on Twitter along with the image of a locked grave leading to several major news outlets pushing the same story online. But turns out, the story is fake news.
Leading fact checker website Alt News‘ research showed that the grave in the picture did not belong to Pakistan but it was found in Hyderabad, India. The reason for the ‘lock’ on the grave had a different explanation as well. The cemetery is located opposite Masjid E Salar Mulk, a mosque in Darab Jung Colony, Madannapet, Hyderabad.
Explaining the reason behind the grille or jaali as Muqtar Sahab, who is the Muazzin of the Masjid E Salar Mulk, called it said to Alt News that a lot of people go there and bury bodies over the old graves without permission.
“The people who already have their close ones resting here have had complaints since they come here to read Fateha. In order to prevent others from burying any bodies further, the families have put the grille there.”
On being informed about the image of this grave being circulated with the claim that it is from Pakistan, Muqtar refuted it and added that the grille was constructed also with a view to preventing people from stamping on the grave since it was right in front of the entrance.
