India Debunks Fake Letter Claiming Recall Of Defence Attache In Jakarta

Calling out a new misinformation campaign, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday released a fact-check report debunking a fake letter that had gone viral on social media, falsely claiming that Captain Shiv Kumar, Defence Attache at the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, had been recalled.

According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the letter was falsely attributed to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, the Ministry clarified that appointments or recalls of Defence Attaches fall under the jurisdiction of the Integrated HQ of MoD (Navy), not the Home Ministry.

Subsequently, the PIB cautioned both journalists and citizens against falling prey to such fake narratives.

“Do not fall for misinformation. Always verify such claims through official sources,” it advised.

The Bureau confirmed that Captain Shiv Kumar remains in his post in Jakarta.

The PIB stated that the letter was part of a deliberate misinformation campaign by Pakistani propaganda accounts. The goal is to mislead the public, distort facts, and erode trust in official institutions.

Notably, this is not the first such attempt.

Following Operation Sindoor in May, Pakistani state-affiliated social media accounts intensified their disinformation efforts. They flooded the internet with doctored videos, outdated images, and entirely fabricated claims of military success.

One widely shared post falsely claimed that the Pakistan Army had shot down an Indian Rafale near Bahawalpur. However, PIB Fact Check confirmed the image was from a 2021 MiG-21 crash in Punjab’s Moga, and unrelated to recent events.

In conclusion, Indian authorities continue to counter these attempts with timely alerts and Fact Check reports. These coordinated campaigns aim to hijack the digital narrative, confuse audiences, and undermine regional stability through sheer volume of disinformation.

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