A graphic circulating on social media claims that the Maharashtra Police has issued a warning about a supposed WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools.’ As per the claim, this group is linked to ISIS, and once joined, members cannot leave. This article aims to fact-check the authenticity of this claim.
Claim: The Maharashtra Police has issued a warning against joining a WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools’.
Fact: The claim is an old hoax. The Maharashtra Police has not issued any such warning. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the claim, we started with a basic internet keyword search to find any notice or warning issued by Maharashtra Police against joining a supposed WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools.’ No credible news articles from Marathi media supported this claim. We also went through the official Maharashtra Police website and their ‘X’ handles, where they usually update such notifications. But we found no such warning issued by them.
On further search, we found that this claim is an old hoax. Multiple articles by various media organisations (here, here, here) have already addressed it.
A 2017 Deccan Chronicle article clarified that cyber experts had dismissed the rumour, confirming that the alleged ‘Inter Schools’ group was not created by ISIS.
Additionally, the FAQ section on WhatsApp contradicts the viral claim. It states that any user can exit a group at any time. It makes no mention of any such group that cannot be left once joined.
Moreover, Maharashtra Police have also debunked the viral claim as unfounded, according to a Newschecker fact-check.
To sum up, the Maharashtra Police has not issued any warning against joining a WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools’, allegedly linked to ISIS.
