FAKE ALERT: No, Muslims did not conduct last rites of a 'Hindu doctor' who died due to covid-19

CLAIM

Several Facebook users posted a photo that shows a group of Muslims taking out funeral procession of a Hindu. Sharing that photo, users claimed Muslims in Pune performed last rites of a

Hindu

doctor Ramakant Joshi who died after contracting coronavirus.

Users claimed that these Muslims belonged to Tablighi Jamaat. They immediately stopped their work of Islamic preaching and arranged for the funeral of Hindu doctor, a post by Mohd Jilani stated.

TRUTH
The claim made with the photo is false. The photo is from April this year when funeral procession of a Hindu priest Ramesh Mathur was carried out by people in his neighbourhood.

VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYUsing relevant keywords, we found a Times of India report dated April 30, 2020. Titled 'Fasting Muslim men take out funeral procession of Hindu priest in

Meerut

', the report mentioned that Mathur stayed in a Muslim-dominated locality. After he passed away, many from the neighbourhood shouldered his body to the crematorium. The post carried the same image as the one shared above.


It should be noted that Mathur did not die to due coronavirus. The protocols for the last rites of coronavirus victims does not allow such crowded procession.

Moreover, we could not find any credible news reports of Muslims performing last rites of a Hindu doctor who died due to coronavirus.

VERDICT
Times Fact Check has found that a photo from Meerut is being shared with a false claim that Muslims performed last rites of a Hindu doctor who passed away due to covid-19.