Fri Apr 04 08:17:15 UTC 2025: ## Old Poster Falsely Linked to Maharashtra Minister’s Alleged Involvement in Murder
**Mumbai, India –** A misleading social media campaign is circulating a poster depicting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis holding a gun with the words “Revenge Complete,” falsely connecting it to the recent murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique. A PTI Fact Check investigation has debunked this claim, revealing the poster’s origins predate Siddique’s death by several weeks.
The poster first appeared in various Mumbai locations in September 2024, following a police encounter that killed Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual abuse case. News reports from Hindustan Times, Aaj Tak, TV9 Hindi, and News18, all dating back to late September, corroborate this. Some posters were even subsequently removed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Despite this verifiable information, the image resurfaced on October 15th, after Siddique’s murder on October 12th, accompanied by false allegations suggesting Fadnavis’s involvement. One X post, viewed over 35,000 times, explicitly linked the poster to Siddique’s death, questioning Fadnavis’s role.
The PTI Fact Check team, using reverse image searches, conclusively linked the viral image to the September reports, confirming its unrelatedness to Siddique’s killing. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for Siddique’s murder.
The investigation highlights the rapid spread of misinformation on social media and the importance of verifying information before sharing it. The PTI Fact Check team emphasized the poster’s pre-existing context, clarifying the false narrative surrounding Fadnavis’s alleged involvement in Siddique’s death.
First Piper 