Minor Hindu girl raped, murdered in Sindh’s Tando Muhammad Khan

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is misleading.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a reverse image search to investigate the picture of the minor girl’s body being shared online.

Multiple social media posts on July 3, 2024, were claiming that a 13-year-old Hindu girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Sindh’s Tando Muhammad Khan. However, the incident actually occurred in 2023.

HOW IT STARTED

On July 3, 2024, an X account with the name of Voice of Pakistan Minority, describing itself as a non-profit organisation committed to protecting minority rights in Pakistan, posted an image of a girl’s body.

The post’s caption said: “In another horrific incident, a 13-year-old minor Hindu girl, Nisha Kolhi, was raped and then brutally killed by the rapist. Not only that, her body was dumped in front of her house in Tando Muhammad Khan.”

The post also tagged the Sindh police, asking: “Is this how you are protecting our daughters?” and mentioned Express Tribune editor Bilal Farooqi, human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, former MNA Farahnaz Ispahani and others.

The post did not provide any details on the date or timing of the alleged incident.

Former Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Wasay Jalil tagged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in the comment section of the post and asked for “stern action”.

Another X user, who based on his past posts routinely shares content critical of Pakistan and Islam, also posted the image with a similar caption and gained over 244,000 views.

Thailand-based Pakistani Christian Faraz Pervaiz, who frequently shares content about alleged rights violations of minorities in Pakistan, also posted the claim and image, garnering 65,000 views.

Indian accounts also shared the viral image here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and the seriously concerning nature of the matter since it pertained to the alleged persecution of Hindu minorities living in Pakistan and acts of extreme violence against a minor girl.

A reverse image search conducted to gather more details about the picture showed that it was shared on June 22, 2023, with almost the exact same caption and details by Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) president Ayaz Latif Palijo and independent Sindhi journalist Veengas.

A keyword search for “Nisha Kolhi”, “13-year-old” and “minor Hindu girl” yielded an Express Tribune news report dated June 25, 2023, and titled: “Police make arrests in savage rape-murder of 13-year-old”.

The report said the body of 13-year-old Nisha Kolhi was found hanging from a tree in the village of Qaim Babbur within the Hyderabad taluka on June 13. It added that five suspects were arrested in connection with the case.

The News International also reported on the incident on June 24, 2023, narrating the same details in a report titled: “Body of murdered teenage girl found hanging from tree in Hyderabad”.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING

The claim regarding the rape cum murder of a minor Hindu girl in Sindh’s Tando Muhammad Khan is misleading.

While the incident did occur, it did so back in June 2023 as can be seen by politicians, journalists and media outlets reporting the same image and details last year.

Thus, sharing it without mentioning the vital context of its date and timing while calling on the police for action not only serves to misguide the public but also holds the potential to cause harmful repercussions such as creating fear, panic and anger in the Hindu community and thus leading to undesirable outcomes.

Evidence and References

June 24, 2023, The News International report:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2423464/police-make-arrests-in-savage-rape-murder-of-13-year-old

June 25, 2023, Express Tribune report:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2423464/police-make-arrests-in-savage-rape-murder-of-13-year-old

June 22, 2023, Veengas X post:
https://x.com/VeengasJ/status/1671942911028772864

June 22, 2023, Ayaz Latif Palijo X post:
https://x.com/AyazLatifPalijo/status/1671884210007842819