Fact Check: Viral image showing men in police custody for gang-raping two women is old
Kolkata rape-murder case sent shockwaves across the country and led to nationwide protests, the 31-year-old trainee was raped and murdered after a grueling 36-hour shift. Numerous people took to the streets demanding justice and punishment for the guilty.
Raipur
Kolkata rape-murder case sent shockwaves across the country and led to nationwide protests, the 31-year-old trainee was raped and murdered after a grueling 36-hour shift. Numerous people took to the streets demanding justice and punishment for the guilty. The victim is a junior doctor and also a postgraduate student at RG Kar Hospital. The incident occurred on August 9, 2024. After completing her shift and study hours that together stretched for 36 hours, she dozed off on a platform in the college’s seminar room where she was sexually assaulted and murdered. Other interns and students found her body the next day in the same room.
After the incident came to light, citizens in the country were shaken by anger. The doctors, across the country, are protesting demanding better facilities and improved security. Thousands of women also gathered late at night in Kolkata and other cities to protest against the lack of safety for women in India.
Meanwhile, an image of police arresting a few men is in circulation on X with the BJP logo alongside and text in Hindi that claims 2 women were returning after 10 people in Raipur, Chhatisgarh gang-raped them during Rakhi celebrations. One of the alleged rapists was the son of a BJP leader -Poonam Thakur. This image is in circulation with satirical questions that point out if the BJP will run bulldozers now on these people. Will the ruling BJP in Chattisgarh punish these culprits?
“क्या बनारस क्या रायपुर। बहन बे
Fact Check:
The claim is Misleading. The incident took place in September, 2023.
When we used the image and used reverse image search, we found a few news articles published on various news websites. According to ABP Live, the incident occurred on August 31, 2023, night after the girls were returning from Rakhi celebrations. Some boys beat them up and raped them one by one. After this, they were released and were found by the police patrol vehicle. The Raipur police arrested 10 accused the same night after a thorough search.
According to a Times of India report, the main accused was identified as Poonam Thakur, who is a history-sheeter and has at least five cases registered against him at Arang and Mandir Hasaud police stations, including a murder, and had served imprisonment in 2019. He was arrested again in 2022 on charges of rape and was released on August 17, 2023, on bail. Others include Ghanshyam Nishad, Love Tiwari, Nayan Sahu, Kewal Verma, Devcharan Dhivar, Laxmi Dhruv, Prahlad Sahu, Krishna Sahu, and Yugal Kishore.
Police have arrested the 10 accused under relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The article also states that the main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, has been raising concerns over poor law and order conditions in the state and mainly in the state capital where incidents of murder, rape, and stabbing are reported often.
According to Outlook, the police acted promptly and apprehended all ten perpetrators after registering a case upon receiving the information. The accused include individuals with a history of criminal activities, with Poonam Thakur, one of the main suspects, having been released on bail in August 2023. Poonam Thakur is the son of local BJP leader Laxmi Narayan Singh. It has been reported that the incident took place near RIMS Medical College in the state capital.
Hence, the image in circulation is not from a recent incident. The accused in the incident have been arrested by the police. The incident occurred during the reign of the Congress government in Chattisgarh in 2023. The claim is Misleading.