Following Australia’s big victory in the 2023 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19, an Instagram post shared by Australian cricket team captain Pat Cummins caught everyone’s attention. In the picture, it can be seen that all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is sitting on the sofa with a pint in his hand and his feet resting on the World Cup trophy kept on the floor. The photo was widely shared on social media and netizens criticized it with some calling it a disrespectful act.
Days after Pat Cummins’ Instagram post sparked a controversy on the social media platform, a bizarre claim regarding the picture is being shared on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter). An X handle Amouk (Archived link) claimed that an activist named Pandit Keshav has filed an FIR against Mitchell Marsh in Aligarh and alleged that Marsh has hurt the sentiments of Indian cricket team fans by placing his foot on the World Cup trophy.
Apart from that, the claim was widely shared by many other handles like Times Algebra (Archived link) and Ramandeep Singh Mann (Archived link).
Moreover, the claim was also endorsed by a few Pakistani handles named Farid khan (Archived link) Imran Siddiqui (Archived link), Pakistan Republic (Archived link) and Dialogue Pakistan (Archived link). Over the past several days, there has been a pattern where Pakistani accounts have taken the lead in spreading false information about the World Cup in an attempt to harm India’s reputation.
After the tweet went viral on the X platform, several news outlets, without independently checking the facts, reported that an RTI activist from Uttar Pradesh has filed an FIR against Mitchell Marsh for resting his feet on the trophy. This was an example of careless journalism. ABP News (Archived link), Aaj Tak (Archived link), Aisa net news (Archived link), Cricket Buzz (Archived link), and Cric Tracker (Archived link) are among the news outlets that contributed to the dissemination of this unverified claim.
Also read: Debunked: Viral Video of David Warner Fielding Amidst ‘Jai Sri Ram’ Chants is Fabricated
A clarification has come from Aligarh Police end after the claim of Aligarh Police registering an FIR against Michelle Marsh went viral on social media. In our fact check, we found the clarification video in which they have clarified that no such FIR has been registered in any police station in Aligarh nor have they taken cognizance of any such complaint. Here is the archived link of the video.
Furthermore, a report by Amar Ujala sheds more light on this strange case. According to the report, President of Anti Corruption Army Pt. Keshav Dev has filed a complaint against Australian cricket team player Mitchell Marsh at Delhi Gate police station. A complaint has been given demanding registration of a case. There has also been a demand to impose a lifetime ban on his match with India. He has written a letter to the Prime Minister and the Sports Minister for necessary action.
The report clearly states that a complaint has been registered. There is a difference between filing a complaint and filing an FIR. People are mistaking filing of complaint for filing of FIR. Hence, the claim that Aligarh Police has filed an FIR against Mitchell Marsh is fake.
Lastly, during investigation, we also came to know from Dainik Jagran’s report that there is a difference between complaint and FIR. Any civilian may file a complaint with the police. This provides the police with information about the crime. Additionally, complaints may be made orally or in writing. Generally any victim, witness, or other third party can file a complaint. On the other hand, a formal complaint report (FIR) is filed based on a complaint. When someone files a complaint with the police, the police formally file a FIR, for which official documents must be kept. This contains details on the complaint-maker, the defendant, and the offense. Only until the police file a formal complaint do they begin an additional investigation.
| Claim | An RTI activist from Uttar Pradesh has filed an FIR against Mitchell Marsh |
| Claimed by | X users and News media |
| Fact Check | Fake |
Also read: The Claim of Ricky Ponting Referring to BCCI as “Cricket Mafia” is Fake
This website uses cookies.