Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Rajdeep Sardesai refuses to acknowledge the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Fact
Viral video dates back to a panel discussion on August 5, 2023, shows Sardesai talking about crimes committed against women during political and communal violence.
A video showing veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai during a televised panel discussion has gone viral with the users criticising Sardesai for purportedly refusing to acknowledge the recent horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, while trying to divert the conversation.
“Political patronage can silence voices, compromise journalists and bury what Rajdeep once called ‘Moral Compass’ in a dung heap of immorality,” read one such tweet, sharing the video. The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact Check
Newschecker saw that some of the users in the replies to the tweet pointed out that the video was old. We then ran a reverse image search of the keyframe of the video, which led us to this Youtube video by Hindi news portal Lallantop, dated August 5, 2024.
“Your favourite political talk show Netanagri has recently completed its 4th anniversary and Lallantop proudly presents the 200th episode of it. The special episode was recorded in front of an energetic, vibrant and diverse audience, who not only watched it live but also actively participated in the Q&A session… In this episode, Saurabh Dwivedi interacts with political experts and audiences to evaluate the journey of political leaders and Indian politics, its evolution and the role of society in shaping these,” read the description of the video.
The viral excerpt can be seen from the 02:36:36 mark, where Sardesai’s comments were part of a discussion around crimes against women during political and communal violence, following which his fellow panellist and senior journalist Rahul Shrivastava questioned why Sardesai avoided naming West Bengal, among other states, in reference to the atrocities committed against women during the panchayat polls in July 2023. A tweet sharing the exchange between the two journalists can be seen here, further confirming that the viral video is from last year.
Also Read: Old Video Of Crowded Ferries Falsely Shared As Hindus Fleeing Bangladesh
Conclusion
Viral video shows Rajdeep Sardesai during a 2023 panel discussion on atrocities against women during political violence, not related to the 2024 Kolkata doctor rape-murder case.
Result: Missing Context
Sources
Youtube video, Lallantop, August 5, 2023
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
