Misinformation spreads like wildfire thanks to social media and the story of Mehul Prajapati, an Indian student in Canada who was labelled a “thief” over a video, serves as a cautionary tale. Prajapati, 26, wanted to aid his fellow students by creating informational videos about his life in Canada. However, what began as a simple endeavour just two months back took a sinister turn when a single video catapulted him into a whirlwind of controversy, hate, and unjust accusations.
Prajapati's ordeal commenced innocuously enough; a video showcasing how he accessed free food for students at his university got only 4,000 views and three comments from his modest 1500 followers on Instagram. The video was then downloaded and it spread like an inferno on other social media platforms like X and Reddit which bore an unexpected consequence – the branding of Prajapati as a "thief" and “freeloader”.
Hate messages inundated his inbox, and a wave of backlash ensued. Even more distressingly, rumours circulated that he had been terminated from his job at Canadian bank TD.
But as is often the case, reality proved far removed from the sensationalised narrative. In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, Prajapati set the record straight, armed with supporting documents to vindicate himself.
Contrary to the accusations, Prajapati was not pilfering from government-run food banks meant to aid the underprivileged.
Rather, he was availing himself of a legitimate program provided by Wilfrid Laurier University, where he pursues his Master's degree. The university's initiative, in collaboration with LSPIRG and Martin Luther University College, offers free groceries to students facing food insecurity.
Prajapati's involvement in the program was misconstrued, fuelling the online frenzy, even though in the video he never mentions government-run food banks – only his college.
The college website elucidates on the program. “LSPIRG and Martin Luther University College welcome you to our Free Weekly Distro program to combat food insecurity on campus. We provide free groceries and other essentials for Laurier and Luther students who need them,” it reads. The list also adds you must be a student of either college and have proper identification to avail this facility.
The catalyst for Prajapati's ordeal stemmed from a social media user, @Slatzism, who amplified the misconceptions surrounding his video.
Despite the lack of verifiable evidence, @Slatzism's actions led to unwarranted repercussions. Several X users tracked down Prajapati’s Instagram and then LinkedIn where they found TD Bank on his profile and even went to the lengths of emailing the bank – Prajapati’s supposed employer – to get him “fired”.
@Slatzism shared a screenshot of one of the responses of the bank to the email on X calling him a "food bank bandit" and claimed he has been fired.
But there is a catch. Prajapati was never an employee of the bank. He was an intern for 17 weeks at the bank – his college course requires him to do two mandatory internships - and his stint ended in December 2023. And what's more, Prajapati is on a student visa and legally cannot have a full-time job in Canada. Moneycontrol has checked and verified the documents regarding his internship.
Neither did he get paid Canadian Dollars 98,000 (Rs 59 lakh), as claimed by @Slatzism who only looked for a median salary at the bank, nor was he even employed at TD. And clearly not fired. So why did TD Bank email @Slatzism saying he “no longer works at TD?” Because he does not.
The bank never mentions in its email that he was sacked; they merely mentioned the truth – he did not work there anymore. That too became fodder for @Slatzism who called him a "food bank bandit", shared the email on X, and added that Prajapati was sacked.
After Prajapati's clarification to Moneycontrol, TD Bank spoke to Canadian news outlets and released a statement. "The individual identified in the video is not a current TD employee and to our knowledge was not employed with TD at the time the video was posted," spokesperson Lisa Bodnar was quoted saying by Canadian daily The Record.
In the wake of the controversy, Prajapati found himself besieged by threats and hostility, prompting him to retreat from social media and shut himself inside his home since Friday.
His college offered support and dismissed any accusations against him, and law enforcement advised caution, yet Prajapati's anxiety persisted being all alone in a foreign country with no support system, exacerbated by the distance from his family in India.
The dean of students at his university is reviewing the situation.
"The online abuse directed at our student is malicious and harmful," the university said in a statement to The Record. "We are providing the student with the necessary support."
Mehul Prajapati, who is now getting regular anxiety attacks, just wants to come back home for a while to spend some time with his family but that too seems far off as he still remains locked inside his house, scared for his safety in a foreign country.
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