The Woman in this video spitting on policemen is Netta D'Souza, not Teesta Setalvad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 8, 2022
A video through a Facebook post is being widely shared on social media which shows a woman spitting and assaulting the cops, while they were trying to detain her. The description reads ,”जय जय श्री राम यह है देश की महान स्वयंसेविका श्रीमती तीस्ता सीतलवाड़। कितनी शालीन कितनी सौम्या” (English translation: Jai Jai SriRam! This is the great volunteer of our country Teesta Setalvad. How decent and nice she is!). Many users shared this video claiming that the woman in the video is Teesta Setalvad, a civil rights activist and Journalist. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows Teesta Setalvad spitting and assaulting the cops.
Fact: The video clearly shows that the woman is Netta D’Souza, acting President of All India Mahila Congress. Police detained her while she was protesting the Enforcement Directorate’s probe on Rahul Gandhi over National Herald Case. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on the internet with relevant keywords several media reports regarding this incident are found. These reports can be seen here, here and here. According to the reports, the incident took place in Delhi on 21 June 2022. Netta D’Souza, along with other Congress party workers were protesting against the Enforcement Directorate for questioning Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald Case.
Teesta Setalvad was arrested on 25 June 2022 by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Gujarat Police. The police have accused her of “committing forgery and fabricating evidence” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots case.
Videos of Teesta Setalvad’s arrest can be watched here, here and here. None of these videos show her spitting on the cops.
To sum it up, it is evident that the woman in the viral video is not Teesta Setalvad.