FACT CHECK: Reality behind Bababhai Pathan from Ahmednagar who ‘adopted’ two ‘orphan’ girls and got them married

New Delhi: Recently, social media platforms were flooded heartwarming incident from Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district where a Muslim man ‘adopting’ two girls and later marrying them off as per Hindu rituals.

According to the several reports in the media, a Muslim man, Bababhai Pathan, who hails from Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra, ‘adopted’ two orphan sisters and organised their wedding from his own expenses in accordance with the Hindu rituals.

The photos that went viral on social media

An image of the two girls crying and being consoled by Pathan on the day of their wedding is being shared falsely claiming that the two are orphans and Pathan had adopted them. The caption of the viral post reads, “A Muslim man from Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, has adopted two orphan sisters and wedded them from his own expenses according to the Hindu rituals, has been widely praised for his humanitarian work across the state.”

Muslim man Bababhai Pathan, from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, has adopted two orphan sisters & wedded them from his own expenses according to the Hindu rituals. He has been widely praised for his humanitarian work across the country. pic.twitter.com/zLIQP76JnS

— Aarif Shah (@shahaarrif) August 23, 2020

However, contrary to the media reports claiming that the Muslim man ‘adopted’ the orphan girls and in a benevolent gesture and married them off according to the Hindu customs, the brides were neither adopted, nor orphans and their mother is still alive.

Fact Check

Popular Marathi blogger Sameer Gaikwad shared this news first on Facebook. The post, when translated in English, reads, “The uncle’s role was performed by Baba Bhai Pathan at the wedding of the Bhusare family’s two daughters in Bodhegaon district Ahmednagar. The mother of the two girls ties rakhi to Baba Bhai every year because she doesn’t have a brother. Baba Bhai Pathan played the role of the brother and the uncle (at the wedding).”

https://www.facebook.com/sameerbapu1/posts/3183600371693345

After it came to the fore that the girls were not orphans ‘adopted’ by Bababhai Pathan as being bandied about in the media and the weddings were organised by the mother of the girls, IPS Kabra corrected himself by issuing a clarification tweet on the incident.