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When an Odia paper thought journalist Rajdeep Sardesai was a 'terror suspect'

A bizarre mix-up saw Rajdeep Sardesai confused for a terror suspect.

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Rajdeep Sardesai and the 'terror supsect' in an Odia paper
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A high alert was sounded in Mumbai and adjoining areas on Thursday after two schoolchildren reported spotting suspicious persons in the Uran area. While the first child informed the school principal about one suspected terrorist, the other reported a group of 5-6 – all dressed in black, pathani suits and probably carrying weapons in their backpacks. Both reported spotting the terrorists near the Uran bus depot.

As the school authorities escalated the matter around 7 am, security agencies got into the act. What worried the agencies was that while the suspects were reportedly speaking in an incomprehensible language, two words could be clearly heard – 'school' and 'ONGC'. The Navy, Coast Guard, Intelligence Bureau, National Security Guard (NSG), Force One, Coastal Police, Anti-Terrorism Squad, Crime Branch, Quick Response Team, Home Guards, Navi Mumbai Police, Mumbai Police and Thane Police all pressed their teams for surveillance. While all this was going around, the sketch of a terrorist was released which looked like this.

However, in a bizarre turn of events an Odia paper called Sambad put up a sketch of a terrorist which looked eerily like journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. 

Sardesai wrote on Twitter: “Just saw a Odhiya newspaper Sambad puts up my sketch as a terror suspect based on RW Twitter gang mischief. If not war, these guys will kill! Photo shopped pics,lies,fake reporting, abuse: what next will this bhakt army stoop to on Twitter? And who will call their diabolical bluff?”

Sambad’s Twitter handle however apologised to Rajdeep, who gracefully, accepted their apology and asked them to do a refresher course. He wrote: “Apology accepted but expect it with the same prominence on your front page Tomw. And start a refresher course.” The paper had also updated their epaper which had the sketch. 

For the record, this was the sketch of the terrorist doing the rounds, of the suspect spotted in Uran which looks like this. There was also another fake tweet which seemed to be doing the rounds of Aaj Tak (which is part of the India Today group and is unlikely to confuse their consulting editor for a terror suspect). 

(Aaj Tak YouTube Screengrab)

(A fake Tweet doing the rounds) 

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