A video showing several children being escorted off a truck in the presence of personnel is being shared on social media.
The claim: The video is being shared with the following claim - "A truck carrying was caught in , . is bringing them from and filling the entire country."
An archived version of this post can be seen .
(Archives of more posts sharing this claim can be seen and .)
Is it true?: No. The incident dates back to May 2023 and shows Muslim children from Bihar and West Bengal returning to a madarsa in Kolhapur after holidays.
How did we find out the truth?: We ran a keyword search with the term "truck muslim children kolhapur" for more information.
This led us to a report by , which carried the same video and was shared on 17 May 2023.
It mentioned that a truck carrying 63 Muslim children aged between seven to 14 years, who studied at a madarsa was caught in Maharashtra.
This truck full of children was viewed by suspicion by pro-Hindutva groups, who reported the incident to the police.
Their investigation found that these children, who had gone home to their villages in Bihar for their holidays, returned to Kolhapur via train and were being ferried to their madarsa in Ajra, the report added.
We found the same information in news reports by , and .
The police initially suspected it to be a case of child trafficking, a report by IANS said, as the children had come from West Bengal and Bihar and not neighbouring states.
However, upon investigation, they found that the children had come to Kolhapur for religious education, it added.
The video report also carried a byte by Kolhapur's then-Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Mangesh Chavan, who said that as per the children's AADHAAR cards, they came from West Bengal and Bihar.
Chavan's statement can also heard in a on Marathi media page Marathi NEWJ's Facebook page.
Conclusion: An old video of Muslim children from Bihar and West Bengal traveling in a truck in Maharashtra's Kolhapur has gone viral with a false claim.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on , or e-mail it to us at and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories .)
You may also like
UP: Maid arrested for mixing urine in dough
Bodycam footage of 6-ft tall Sydney Wilson with knife has Internet divided: Here's what happened
Gabriel Martinelli shares new message amid Arsenal injury worry
Ben Whittaker told he 'didn't fancy it' as boxer is given new nickname
"Constantly taking big decisions for welfare of our farmer": PM Modi hails cabinet's nod to MSP hike
I tested the app that's seen people lose 5 stone as part of my weight loss journey
Newcastle explosion LIVE: Boy, 7, dies after flames tear through homes
Punjab Minister says state to meet 20 per cent fuel demand through biofuels by 2035
UAE mission in Kerala warns citizens of rain in parts of India
BJP demands Siddaramaiah's resignation over 'deep involvement in MUDA scam'
Congress repeating Haryana in Palakkad, claims party's Kerala leader
CRPF to Take Over VIP Security as Govt Orders Withdrawal of NSG Commandos
Brooks Koepka killed off Bryson DeChambeau beef and now aims to embarrass Rory McIlroy
Brits are obsessed with Italians - and want to live like them too
Misbehaviour with woman scribe case: Suresh Gopi moves bail plea in Kerala court
Meghan Markle's influence on Prince Harry laid bare after expert spots clue at outing
Bengaluru Schools Closed Tomorrow Due to Heavy Rains, IMD Issues Alert
Attractive three bedroom home on auction for bargain price of £200K - but there's a huge problem
Sajid inspires Pakistan turnaround after Duckett hundred
Motorists slam 19-mile diverted traffic route - for just 550 yards of roadworks