On March 22, leading media house The Times of India carried a news story titled “How suspended armyman pulled off burglaries.” The report mentioned that a join team of military intelligence and Delhi Police crime branch is investigating the source of military stickers found on the car of suspended armyman Dharambir, who was arrested later on for many burglaries in Delhi Cantonment.
timesofindia
However, it was a grave error by the publishing house as Indian Army’s official handle, the Additional Directorate General of Public Interface (ADGPI), soon came to clarify that the newspaper has carried out the wrong headline and that the alleged crime was committed by a civil MES employee and not an army personnel.
Wrong heading in news article in Times of India today ‘How Suspended Armyman Pulled Off Burglaries’. Heading has ‘Armyman’ which is wrong. Alleged crime committed by Civil MES employee & not an Army personnel. pic.twitter.com/jJbL07fLd1
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) March 22, 2018
Later on, the newspaper also carried a corrigendum seeking apology for the grave error it has done.
The paper wrote:
“An earlier version of this story erroneously described a suspended civilian Military Engineering Service (MES) employee as an Armyman.”
But the event it gave enough ammunition for Twitterati to beat the newspaper left and right. Here are reactions:
Sir, Thats why we Civilians lovingly call TOI as Toilet Paper Of India 😎
— Piyu Nair 🇮🇳 (@DtPiyu) March 22, 2018
When mainstream media can call Chinese J-10 an F-16. They can next call a Tiger a mouse. Major newspapers can not break news literally in a hurry to Break News.
— Aviator Anil Chopra (@Chopsyturvey) March 22, 2018
Sir they r not in hurry ,,, it’s their part of day job to defame a proud organization..
— BS_Shekhawat (@bsshekhawat134) March 22, 2018
Respected sir
Pls. File deformation case against times of india. It is biased & anti national journalism.— suresh pandey (@sureshpandey69) March 22, 2018
This is blatant fake item…TOI must issue apology on front page bold letters to the army & the named person.
— Vibhuti Jha (@VJjha) March 23, 2018
Journalism in India has fallen to such a low level that I feel the era of DD News was the best. The news agencies hire any TD&H to speak/write whatever nonsense they want, just to complete the characters in their column 🙄🙄
— Maj Gautam Vijay (@Maj_GautamVijay) March 23, 2018
trust is the major casualty and truth/people suffer while the nrwsmen make boat load of money by making not only false but fake news. sensationalism is the name of the game…
— Vibhuti Jha (@VJjha) March 23, 2018
Sad state of affairs @timesofindia
Please educate yourself about who’s an armyman and who is a civilian employeehttps://t.co/SCyEKnsgml— Rohit Agarwal (@ragarwal) March 22, 2018
This is intentionally done by few media houses.
They look at an opportunity to malign the image of the army as it becomes sensational news.— jay b (@Jayesh27) March 22, 2018
Media is the biggest Scam in this country.
— Anmol Trisal (@anmol_trisal) March 22, 2018
Are the MES employees not defence employees ? If I am correct, Engineering Corps officers and soldiers are posted with MES.
— Mukesh Kumar (@mukeshmeendh) March 22, 2018
Wrong statement. Either they are purely civilian officers and employees OR combat soldiers working in civil uniforms
— Mukesh Kumar (@mukeshmeendh) March 22, 2018
MES is part of MOD.They wrk with all wings of Forces & present in evry cantt .In this case a class 3/ 4 employee.MES officer r top paid employees in India.They wrk in Chief Enginineer Office both zone & comd, many Def off like GE, CWE & TEs SEs etc.Uniform wring also work there
— Arun Singh Barwar (@arun1991s) March 23, 2018
Uniform wearing also wrk there & they r part of 75% in this institution all around India.The statement is like all credit of there work Army will take but not responsibility of the https://t.co/mNl1QCJIho is right not wrong.I am fr Army.Please search What MES does for the forces.
— Arun Singh Barwar (@arun1991s) March 23, 2018
TOI = Toilet Paper Of India
— Akash_सूर्यवंशी (@dhadwaldaddu) March 22, 2018
Pls file a defamation case against the news agency and let them pay for it, they don’t care and get cover under FOE! it is only Freedom Of Expression not Freedom Of Defamation !!
— ॐ LINGA 🤘🏻 (@Aadhi_Yogi) March 22, 2018
