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CEC Gyanesh Kumar gave his son-in-law a plum posting?

checkthis · automated fact-check · How we check

MisleadingTrick: Twists the timeline

Checked 19 Oct 2026

The Reel misleadingly connects two events a year apart to invent a corrupt quid pro quo. While it is true that former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson claimed Gyanesh Kumar suggested he run for the BJP in 2016, the claim about his son-in-law's posting relies on a false timeline. The Special Intensive Revision was announced on June 24, 2025, but Manish Bansal was appointed Saharanpur DM a full year earlier, in June 2024.

Main source: Zee News

Real video, twisted story.

The post we checked

The post we checked

Add more reasons in the comments! #GaddaarGyanuMustGo

🚩 What's concerning

Lapse

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced scrutiny for making key decisions without the knowledge and consent of fellow election commissioners.

"Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is facing scrutiny over key decisions taken without the knowledge and consent of fellow election commissioners, as revealed in an investigation by The Indian Express." Scroll, 2026-09-29

The trick: Twists the timeline

It moves a real event to another time, or puts events in the wrong order, so it seems to mean something else (known as twisted timeline).

"Got plum posting for his son-in-law just after SIR announcement The SIR was announced on June 24. The very next day, CEC Gyanesh Kumar's son-in-law, Manish Bansal, was posted as Saharanpur DM"

The Reel places an appointment from June 2024 immediately after an announcement from June 2025 to invent a quid pro quo.

How this trick works and how to answer it →

What we checked

✕
CEC Gyanesh Kumar's son-in-law Manish Bansal was appointed DM of Saharanpur the day after the SIR was announced on June 24.Zee News
✓
Former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson said Gyanesh Kumar asked him in 2016 to contest as a BJP candidate in the 2019 elections.Onmanorama

What each side says

Jiji ThomsonJiji Thomson described the conversation as a friendly suggestion about retirement plans rather than a formal political offer. The Hindu

How it plays you

It wants you to think: "The Chief Election Commissioner corruptly trades official election decisions for administrative favors for his family."

Manish Bansal's appointment as DM occurred following the Lok Sabha elections, before the SIR announcement.

Short version

⚠️ MISLEADING 👉 The Reel misleadingly connects two events a year apart to invent a corrupt quid pro quo. 👉 While it is true that former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson claimed Gyanesh Kumar suggested he run for the BJP in 2016, the claim about his son-in-law's posting relies on a false timeline. 👉 The Special Intensive Revision was announced on June 24, 2025, but Manish Bansal was appointed Saharanpur DM a full year earlier, in June 2024. 🎭 Trick: Twists the timeline 📰 Source: Zee News 🔎 Full check: send this post to @checkthis.chat

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