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
‘Reclaim the Night’ protester Ankita Bauri was raped and murdered on her way home from a march in Burdwan, West Bengal.
Fact
No such instance of a protester by the name of Ankita Bauri being raped and killed. However, there were two separate cases of a gang-rape and a murder of two young women in Burdwan, which are not connected to the rape-murder case of the Kolkata doctor.
While India ushered in its 78th year of Independence, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Kolkata and throughout the state on a rainy Wednesday night as part of the “reclaim the night” march against the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the night of August 8.
However, a section of social media users claimed that a student from the University of Burdwan, Ankita Bauri, was brutally raped and murdered on her way home from the protest, triggering shockwaves and anger among users. The posts can be seen here and here.
Newschecker also received requests on our WhatsApp tipline (9999499044) requesting us to fact-check the claim.
Fact
Newschecker ran a keyword search for “Ankita Bauri Kolkata”, which led us to this post from the official Twitter account of the Purba Bardhaman District Police, debunking the claim. “…The fact is that no such incident of rape and murder of girl named Ankita Bauri has happened in Burdwan. Strong action is being taken against people for spreading such rumours. Purba Burdwan police is committed to the safety and security of women,” read the X post, dated August 17, 2024.
Upon further search, we came across two separate cases that happened in Burdwan in August — three men were arrested for the gang-rape of a 22-year-old woman on August 7, while the body of a young woman with her throat slit was recovered on August 15 in Shaktigarh.
“A 22-year-old girl, while on her way to Shravani Mela along the Burdwan-Nabadwip Road with her friend, was stopped by the culprits and they dragged her to a place away from the road. They first fastened her friend with a tree, robbed cash from him and then raped the girl in front of him on 7 August afternoon. The family members of the victim lodged a complaint with the police on 9 August and the girl’s medical examinations were made at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and her statements were recorded,” read a report from The Statesman, dated August 13, 2024.
Meanwhile, another incident, involving a girl student studying in the Burdwan University took place on August 14, 2024. “The body of a tribal girl student (Priyanka Hansda) was recovered from farmland with her throat slit on Thursday. The incident sparked a sensation in Burdwan on 14 August and the aggrieved tribal community members blocked the Burdwan PS on Independence. The tribal girl students of Burdwan University also agitated at the BU campus demanding immediate arrest of the culprit,” read a Statesman report on the second case, dated August 17, 2024. Amandeep Singh, SP, East Burdwan, was quoted by reports as saying that no evidence of rape was detected in the autopsy, while adding that the police have already identified the culprit and teams have been expedited for his arrest. A similar report can be seen here, indicating that the two incidents were conflated to create a case centred around the “reclaiming the night” marches that were a culmination of nearly a week of frenzied protests ignited by the brutal killing of the 31-year-old.
We have reached out to the Burdwan police and will update this article once we receive a response.
Also Read: Viral Image Of Uddhav Thackeray Bowing Before Rahul Gandhi Is Edited
Conclusion
The viral claim that a Burdwan University student, Ankita Bauri, was raped and murdered when she was returning home after taking part in a “Reclaim The Night” protest against the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, was found to be false.
Result: Partly False
Sources
X post, Purba Bardhaman District Police, August 17, 2024
The Statesman report, August 13, 2024
The Statesman report, August 17, 2024
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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.
