After top Indian wrestlers gathered in New Delhi to demand the arrest of the sport's federation chief, social media posts falsely claimed to show a photo of the athletes packing up and leaving after they "ended" the demonstration. However, an AFP journalist who visited the protest site on May 9 confirmed it had not been called off. The photo shared in false posts was taken after the protesters spent the night at the site, according to the news agency that published the picture.

“Now we are leaving, remember us in your prayers," reads a Hindi-language tweet posted on May 6.

"The agitation by brother-in-law and sister-in-law has ended".

The photo shows Sangeeta Phogat (left), her sister Vinesh Phogat (centre) and Sangeeta's husband Bajrang Punia (right), all three of whom are wrestlers.

Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medallists and Commonwealth champions, have been protesting in New Delhi since April to demand the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a ruling party lawmaker.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a panel in January to investigate sexual harassment and intimidation claims against Singh, but the athletes say there has been insufficient action since then.

Singh has denied the allegations, claiming a conspiracy to smear his reputation and force him out of India's parliament.

Screenshot of the false claim shared on Twitter, taken on May 8, 2023.

The photo was shared in similar posts on Facebook...

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