Baba Thoka’s claim that Navy Lt Kiran Shekhawat crashed a Dornier to escape assault is fabricated
Baba Thoka’s claim that Navy Lt Kiran Shekhawat crashed a Dornier to escape assault is fabricated
Executive Summaryसारांश
Baba Thoka claims an investigation found that Navy Lieutenant Kiran Shekhawat deliberately crashed a Dornier aircraft in March 2015 to escape assault by two fellow officers. Fact-checkers have labelled the post propaganda. No inquiry made any such finding, and the claim contradicts the basic facts of the crash.Baba Thoka claims an investigation found that Navy Lieutenant Kiran Shekhawat deliberately crashed a Dornier aircraft in March 2015 to escape assault by two fellow officers. Fact-checkers have labelled the post propaganda. No inquiry made any such finding, and the claim contradicts the basic facts of the crash.
Full Reportपूरी रिपोर्ट
On October 22, 2026, the X handle “Baba Thoka” (@ThokaReturns) posted about the March 2015 crash of an Indian Navy Dornier surveillance aircraft off the Goa coast. It falsely claimed that an investigation had concluded Lt Kiran Shekhawat deliberately crashed the plane to escape assault by her two colleagues, Commander Nikhil Joshi and Lt Abhinav Nagori. Fact-checkers have labelled the post propaganda. The Dornier went down during a routine night sortie on March 24, 2015. Lt Shekhawat, an observer on board, and Lt Nagori lost their lives, while Commander Joshi, the pilot, was rescued. Lt Shekhawat was not flying the aircraft, and Lt Nagori, whom the post accuses, also died in the crash. No official inquiry or credible report has ever suggested any assault or deliberate act. Lt Kiran Shekhawat, the first woman officer of the Indian Navy to die in the line of duty, is honoured as a martyr. Inventing a sexual assault narrative about her death insults her memory and her family, falsely smears fellow officers who served with her, and is part of Baba Thoka’s continuing campaign of fabricated content against the armed forces. Such posts should be reported, not shared.
On October 22, 2026, the X handle “Baba Thoka” (@ThokaReturns) posted about the March 2015 crash of an Indian Navy Dornier surveillance aircraft off the Goa coast. It falsely claimed that an investigation had concluded Lt Kiran Shekhawat deliberately crashed the plane to escape assault by her two colleagues, Commander Nikhil Joshi and Lt Abhinav Nagori. Fact-checkers have labelled the post propaganda. The Dornier went down during a routine night sortie on March 24, 2015. Lt Shekhawat, an observer on board, and Lt Nagori lost their lives, while Commander Joshi, the pilot, was rescued. Lt Shekhawat was not flying the aircraft, and Lt Nagori, whom the post accuses, also died in the crash. No official inquiry or credible report has ever suggested any assault or deliberate act. Lt Kiran Shekhawat, the first woman officer of the Indian Navy to die in the line of duty, is honoured as a martyr. Inventing a sexual assault narrative about her death insults her memory and her family, falsely smears fellow officers who served with her, and is part of Baba Thoka’s continuing campaign of fabricated content against the armed forces. Such posts should be reported, not shared.