An image has been shared thousands of times in Indian social media posts alongside a claim it shows students who were caught making bombs in a university hostel in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Police did find crude bombs during a raid on University of Allahabad hostels in 2019, but the image being shared online is not from that operation. It circulated in news reports about a police operation against a prostitution racket in a different state, also in 2019.

The image was shared here on Twitter on April 27, 2022.

Its Hindi-language caption translates in part as: “Allahabad University hostel became the new hub of terrorism, 25 students were caught making bombs.

The University of Allahabad is in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The image was shared alongside a picture of the state’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand Hindu monk known for his sectarian rhetoric and hardline stance on crime.

Similar claims circulated on Facebook here and here, and on Twitter here and here.

The University of Allahabad’s hostels were raided in April 2019 after a local court expressed concern over violence at the university and its hostels, according to a report in the Indian daily The Hindustan Times.

The report said at least 13 youths were detained for questioning after they were found to be living illegally at the hostels, while crude bombs, bomb-making materials and a toy gun were also found.

However, the image being circulated was not taken during the raid.

Madhya...

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