Fact Check: Video Falsely Shared As Muslim Youth Stabbing Hindu Girl In Kolkata
The accused, Avijit Dutta, attacked the victim, a 14-year-old girl, with a sharp weapon after she slapped him for a distasteful comment.
The Verdict False
The FIR filed by the Kolkata police names the accused as Avijit Dutta and Rishikeith Paul, confirming there is no communal angle to the incident.
(Trigger warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence and distressing visuals. Reader discretion is advised.)
What is the claim?
A 36-second video circulating online depicts a man being assaulted by a group of people and a bleeding girl sitting on the road. The video has been shared with the claim that it shows people beating up a Muslim boy who attacked a Hindu girl in broad daylight.
West Bengal BJP leader Nazia Elahi Khan, a member of the party’s minority cell, posted the video with the caption: “Just watch how a Muslim boy stabbed a Hindu girl in broad daylight!! *Hindus are not SAFE under Mamata Raj!* Shocking!! Situation is horrible in WB.” She also tagged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Kolkata police, demanding action. At the time of writing, the post (archived here) has received over 1,200 reposts and 1,700 likes. The claim has also circulated among Telugu-speaking users, with an archive available here.
Screenshots of the claim circulating on social media platforms (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, the stabbing incident has been falsely framed with a communal narrative. In reality, both the accused and the victim belong to the Hindu community.
What are the facts?
A reverse image search of keyframes from the video led to an article published by the Times of India, which included frames from the viral video. The September 5 report identifies the accused as "Abhijeet Dutta," who attacked a 14-year-old girl with a sharp weapon after she slapped him for a "distasteful comment." The incident occurred in Prafulla Nagar, within the Belgharia police station limits in the Barrackpore Commissionerate of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
The report states that the girl and her mother, who was with her and also injured, were taken to a hospital. Bystanders assaulted the accused, who was also hospitalized. This account is corroborated by a Telegraph India report.
On September 5, 2024, the Barrackpore police issued a statement on their X account (archive here), confirming that a First Information Report (FIR) had been filed and that the accused, who attacked the girl with a sharp weapon, had been arrested.
With reference to the incident under Belgharia PS jurisdiction, a girl who was attacked by a person with a sharp edged weapon (দা ), a specific case under proper sections of law has been registered. Police arrested one accused person and all proper legal actions are being taken.
— Barrackpore Police (@bkpcitypolice) September 4, 2024
Logically Facts accessed the FIR from the Barrackpore police’s official website. The FIR names the accused as "Avijit Dutta," "Rishikeith Paul," and five unknown individuals.
Screenshot of the FIR registered by the Barrackpore police. (Source: Barackpore Police)
The FIR shows that the accused has been booked under charges of attempted murder, criminal intimidation, and sections of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act).
The complaint, filed by the victim's father on the afternoon of September 4, reports that his wife was returning home with their minor children when Avijit Dutta attacked them with a sharp weapon. The complaint alleges that Dutta and Rishikeith Paul had previously harassed and blackmailed the daughter. On the day of the incident, the girl was attacked and hospitalized in critical condition.
Logically Facts has contacted the Belgharia police station for further verification and will update the check upon receiving a response.
The verdict
A video of a stabbing incident in Kolkata has been misrepresented with a false communal angle. Both the accused and the victim belong to the Hindu community.
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