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
Muslim boy stabs a Hindu girl in Kolkata.
Fact
The accused and the victim belonged to the same community. He stabbed the schoolgirl after she slapped him for making lewd remarks
Several social media users are circulating a video purportedly showing a group of people thrashing a youth while others tend to a severely injured girl, claiming that a “Muslim boy had stabbed a Hindu girl in broad daylight” in Kolkata.
“Situation is horrible in WB. Will soon spread to Kolkata and rest of neighbouring states as well, where infiltrated Muslims from BD/Myanmar are being pushed from Bengal with paid Aadhar/Voter ID/ and Ration Cards++ so keep voting TMC, to see more!,” further read the claims, demanding that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and police take appropriate legal action.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact Check
Newschecker ran a reverse image search of keyframes, which led us to a Times of India report, featuring a screengrab of the viral video, published on September 5, 2024, headlined, “Spurned, youth stabs girl thrice on Belgharia road, mom injured too”.
“Abhijit Dutta, a youth from Prafulla Nagar in Belgharia, on Wednesday afternoon (September 4) attacked a 14-year-old girl in the middle of the road and stabbed her at least thrice with a sharp weapon, after she reportedly slapped him following a lewd comment he made. Her mother, too, was injured as she tried to save her. The Class-IX student, who sustained deep injuries on her shoulders, neck and head, was admitted to a private hospital off EM Bypass, where she underwent a surgery. Dutta had earlier professed his love for the girl but she had turned him down,” read the TOI report, adding that on hearing the girl’s screams, people nearby ran up to them and caught the youth, whom they thrashed severely before handing him to the police. An FIR was lodged against the youth at the Belgharia police. Similar reports can be seen here and here, where we did not find any communal angle across the stories.
We then reached out to the Belghoria police station, where the officer-in-charge, inspector Subhrajit Majumder, said, “There is no Hindu-Muslim angle to the case. Both the accused and the girl belonged to the Hindu community.”
Also Read: False Claim Linking CJI, Wife With Mamata Banerjee’s Personal Physician Goes Viral
Conclusion
Viral video does not show mob thrashing Muslim man for stabbing Hindu girl, there is no communal angle to the incident.
Result: False
Sources
Times of India report, September 5, 2024
Conversation with inspector Subhrajit Majumder, officer-in-charge, Belghoria police station
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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.
