RG Kar Death: Internet Goes On Overdrive As X Users, Cops Fight Over 'Misinformation', 'Dictatorship' Claims
RG Kar Doctor Death: From allegations of rumourmongering to counters by police — the Kolkata doctor's death has opened a whole new can of worms online. Here's a wrap.
RG Kar Doctor Rape And Murder Case: The Kolkata doctor's rape and murder has shaken the entire nation, with outrage pouring in from every corner, both offline and online. Protests have remained largely peaceful on the streets, with the exception of the midnight march at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital that turned violent. However, the internet has opened a can of worms with the line between rumours and facts blurred and, in some cases, obliterated.
Within hours of the violent protests, netizens started sharing images and comments about what was happening at the RG Kar Medical College. While some claimed that the violence was perpetrated by "TMC goons", others claimed that it was an attempt to "destroy evidence". Few of the claims had been officially verified, and many were termed "misinformation" by the police.
The Kolkata Police, at the receiving end of criticism for allegedly trying to suppress the crime, seems to be working overtime to check what they are calling "misinformation" as social media users are sharing everything they are coming across, even the name of the rape victim and her images including those taken after her body was recovered.
Meanwhile, the protest to seek justice for the Kolkata doctor has also turned into political and gender battles. The BJP is seeking to take the upper hand using this opportunity to demand Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation. The CM, on the other hand, is blaming the BJP and the Left for fanning unrest in the state, especially the incident of vandalism at RG Kar Hospital on August 14 midnight.
On social media, netizens have brought back #notallmen after a war of words took X by storm. Many cited the RG Kar doctor rape and murder case to point out that it was "not all men, but always men" who targeted women.
Not all men, but always men 💔 #Nirbhaya2 pic.twitter.com/z3DPBkHKjA
— Mee_Anamika (@_anamikaaaa) August 13, 2024
Another X user pointed out: "We are talking about an horrendous gang rape case and some men are defending it with not all men [sic]."
The #NotAllMen comments with regards to the Kolkata rape case are so ignorant. We are talking about an horrendous gang rape case and some men are defending it with not all men. Even if not all men, does a woman feel safe now? Forget anywhere else, will female doctors be able to…
— Dhanashree Joglekar (@dhanashree0910) August 15, 2024
just saw this under a post where a girl was informing ppl about the case in Kolkata and she was fully dressed but was wearing a fitted tshirt, with a bra inside too and not an inch of skin showing. how can i not say "all men"? pic.twitter.com/HNiMlF0jRY
— venera (@rpwprchives) August 15, 2024
Some X users said that after the Kolkata incident, the world needs to forget the 'Not all men argument'. "After what has happened in Kolkata and the Third Wave incident, the #NotAllMen tag needs to be buried and banned. We are the problem. Face it," a user said.
After what has happened in Kolkata and the Third Wave incident, the #NotAllMen tag needs to be buried and banned. We are the problem. Face it. Not all of us are bad, but the ones who are are doing an incredible amount of damage and endangering half the population of the world!
— Nimish Dubey (@nimishdubey) August 13, 2024
Saying "not all men" is a knee-jerk reaction, only proves that you are not listening. It's not about you and you are not the one being wronged here, you got to stop making it about yourself everytime a women says they don't feel safe.#NotAllMen #kolkata
— Nayan (@WeTheHerd) August 15, 2024
Yet another 'anonymous' user said: "They all were trending 'All Men' until the news came out that there was a female doctor among the killers of the lady doctor of Kolkata. Now some of them are writing 'Not All Men'. Never believe them, they change colours with time."
Kolkata Police On Social Media
The Kolkata Police department has been under intense scrutiny since it began its investigation in the RG Kar doctor murder case, which was later handed over to CBI. They faced more flak after the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for allegedly failing to protect the protesting doctors.
In the rape-murder case, the Kolkata Police faced questions from various fronts about why the parents were told by cops that the victim had died of suicide. Netizens also alleged that the police hurriedly cremated the body of the victim.
Taking to X, the police sought to offer "clarification" on some of the allegations and call out many posts as "misinformation".
Rubbishing the allegations, they clarified: "Reports of KP informing the family about a possible suicide are false. The family confirmed the call did not come from KP. KP didn’t cremate the body of THE deceased. It was her family who cremated her."
Since points 1 & 2 concern Kolkata Police, we wish to clarify:
— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 14, 2024
1. Reports of KP informing the family about a possible suicide are false. The family confirmed the call did not come from KP
2. KP didn’t cremate the body of deceased. It was her family who cremated her. https://t.co/ktoVv8scjZ
Right after the violence broke out at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, netizens started sharing audios and videos citing "insider information" about the vandalism and the Kolkata doctor's death. Some X users alleged that the scene of the crime was compromised when the mob ran amock during the midnight protest and evidence was destroyed. The police immediately clarified that the scene of the crime was not "touched", and warned users of "legal action for spreading rumours".
Crime of Scene is Seminar Room and it has not been touched. Don’t spread unverified news. We will initiate legal action for spreading rumours. https://t.co/V76OKNgMPf
— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 15, 2024
#RespectTheVictim#SayNoToRumors #SayNoToMisinformation#BreakTheChain pic.twitter.com/26nMpJJ2gH
— DCP (Cyber Crime), Kolkata Police (@DCCyberKP) August 17, 2024
The 'Grammar' War
The internet is, however, plagued by way more than the rape-murder and hospital violence incidents at RG Kar MCH. Amid all the chaos, the Kolkata Police was confronted by the online populace for "grammatical errors" in its post. "They must be so busy in catching goons that they don’t even time to check for grammatical errors [sic]," wrote one X user after the department mistakenly wrote 'Crime of Scene' instead of 'scene of crime'.
Priorities of Kolkata Police! Kudos!
— Dr. Datta (AIIMS Delhi) (@DrDatta_AIIMS) August 15, 2024
They must be so busy in catching goons that they don’t even time to check for grammatical errors! pic.twitter.com/GnsLrkn8wz
The police later issued a correction, saying: "Typographical error : Scene of Crime."
Typographical error : Scene of Crime https://t.co/7oyWUyKpfN
— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 15, 2024
But after correcting itself, they faced more ridicule. "Kolkata Police doing everything including grammar check, except policing," wrote another X user.
Kolkata Police doing everything including grammar check, except policing. pic.twitter.com/5iCulO1h6P
— Ninad Kharkar🐙 (@ninadkharkar) August 15, 2024
The 'grammar war' started after the police apparently misunderstood a social media post on the vandalism, where she said that the "Emergency Room at RG Kar College where the rape and murder took place has been destroyed by a violent mob". The police assumed that she said that the emergency room was the place of occurrence of the crime, whereas she meant the RG Kar Hospital premises.
Dear kolkata police, please first go to school and learn basic english understand the context..
— Akash Mishra (@amishra895) August 15, 2024
If you had shown such type Proactiveness prior to such incident so many life could have saved. Still there's time.. Be human first and try to behave like a cop. pic.twitter.com/fGGXDnzSqc
Kolkata Police Faces 'Dictatorship' Allegation
In an apparent attempt to curb social media misinformation, the Kolkata Police issued several notices to X users. Mentioning the URLs of questionable social media content, the Kolkata Police's cyber cell asked users to take down "offensive, malicious, and inciting posts". It also warned against "disclosing the identity of a rape victim".
— DCP (Cyber Crime), Kolkata Police (@DCCyberKP) August 17, 2024
Netizens objected to this and slammed the police.
Waahh #kolkataPolice
— Sumit joshi (@sumit_joshi_044) August 16, 2024
Working overtime to send legal notices.#kolkatahorror
#justiceformoumitadebnath pic.twitter.com/nrvxeAp8oW
The police's measures to curb misinformation went way beyond sending notices, as one X user said. The X user, who identifies herself on social media as an MBBS student, said the police came knocking at her door for the unverified content she put out on social media. Describing her experience with "uniformed officers", she said: "My mom got a call from my neighbour [from my hometown] around 7.30 PM that 3-4 uniformed officers were searching for my home. They were saying Kolkata Police had asked them to summon me about some post. They eventually reached my place and my brother and sister-in-law were present. My brother called me and put me on speaker."
According to the X user, the police asked her if she had verified a post that she made about a student from Burdwan university. She told them: "I did see articles of media houses about the same but I blatantly believed an angle I saw spreading in people’s statuses (that it was related to the ‘Claim the Night’ protest). I edited it under the post after verification."
To this, the police purportedly told her: "Please delete the post and don’t further post information without verifying and report to the town thana tomorrow." The X user alleged that the police also warned her brother that her career could be ruined because of such posts, and that there was no official notice or summon.
She said the experience was quite "shocking" for her family as the neighbours were inquiring about the presence of police at their home.
ABP Live could not verify the claim despite efforts.
A section of X users accused the police and CM Mamata Banerjee of dictatorship for sending legal notices. "This is the investigation of @KolkataPolice once called Scotland Yard. Sending threats to common netizens for asking questions on #BengalDoctor. If this is not Dictatorship then what is," an X user asked.
This is the investigation of @KolkataPolice once called Scotland Yard. Sending threats to common netizens for asking questions on #BengalDoctor. If this is not Dictatorship then what is? #ResignMamata pic.twitter.com/yrQW4QmJlH
— 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 (@MeGautamSingh) August 16, 2024
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