Video of women stripped naked in West Bengal falsely linked to Manipur violence

By: Chandan Borgohain
July 25 2023

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(Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of distressing visuals and mentions of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised)

Context

Last week, a disturbing video of two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted by dozens of men in the strife-torn state of Manipur in India surfaced online, triggering widespread uproar and condemnation. According to news reports, so far, six persons have been arrested in connection with the horrific incident that took place on May 4, just days after ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state.

In the aftermath of the video, several social users have been sharing visuals of unrelated incidents and linking them with the ongoing violence in Manipur. In one such video, an angry mob can be seen thrashing two women and stripping them off their clothes. Sharing the distressing video on Twitter, a user wrote, "#ManipurBurning Need Justice for Manipur Violence," and mentioned several hashtags on Manipur. The tweet, shared on July 23, had gained over 46,000 views at the time of publishing.

However, the video is not from Manipur.

In Fact

On July 22, News18 published a report on the incident captured in the video. According to the report, which carries two blurred screenshots from the viral video and is based on a tweet containing an extended and blurred version of the video, two tribal women were allegedly stripped naked and abused in West Bengal's Malda district.

The Wire also published a report on the incident on July 22. The report, which also uses a screenshot of the viral video, stated that the incident took place near Ratuachak in Pakuahat of Malda on July 18 but drew attention on Saturday, July 22, after the video went viral on social media. According to the report, Malda Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Kumar Yadav told reporters that local residents attacked the two women over suspicion that they had stolen money from other women.

In another report on the incident, also published on July 22, The Indian Express stated that locals alleged that five tribal women from the Manikchak area in Malda were caught stealing from other women. While three of them managed to escape, two women were caught and beaten up by the mob, the report stated. It added that the police had lodged a suo-moto case and initiated an investigation on the matter.

We also found that the same video is being circulated with the claim that it shows two women Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contestants for local polls who were beaten up and paraded naked in West Bengal.

Logically Facts contacted Joydeep Chakrabarty, Inspector In-Charge at Bamongola Police Station in Malda district, for further details on the incident. Chakrabarty said, "This video is neither from Manipur nor were the two victims BJP candidates for local elections. It was a case of alleged theft, and based on their suspicion, a group of women beat up the victims. We have identified and arrested six individuals from the mob who attacked the tribal women. We have also included the Information Technology (IT) Act in the chargesheet for sharing the video on social media. The claims made on social media are false."

The Verdict

The video has been falsely linked to the current unrest in Manipur. Reports from credible news outlets and police officials have confirmed that the incident captured in the video took place in Malda in West Bengal. Therefore, we mark the claim false.