Does This Video Show RSS Goons Assaulting Woman Because She Sold Meat? No, Video Viral With False Claim

A video that shows a group of men destroying a small shop and harassing and disrobing a woman has gone viral across social media.

The video has gone viral in the context of increasing violence around the food habits of people, as indicated by the recent violence between ABVP and JNU students.

Claim:

The video shows a group of men using rods to uproot a structure that appears to be a small shop. Meanwhile, a woman protests against these men. The group of men then assaults the woman by dragging and disrobing her. Other people try to intervene but are attacked as well.

The video has gone viral with the following claim:

#Atrocities Captioned video is of RSS gangsters beating up and stripping a woman naked in the middle of the road in Pratapgarh, India. Her crime? Not closing down meat shops despite threats from extremist groups. #DalitLivesMatter

[Trigger Warning: The Logical Indian has not embedded the video due to its graphic nature and strong language.]

The viral posts claim that the captioned video shows RSS gangsters beating up and stripping a woman naked in the middle of the road in Pratapgarh, India. The video has been shared in the context of violence by extremist right-wing groups on meat consumption.

It is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian Fact Check team verified the viral claim and found it to be false. The viral video is related to a land dispute.

We conducted a keyword search using terms in Hindi, such as "प्रतापगढ़ महिला"(Pratapgadh woman). We came across the following report by ABP Live, which carries a snapshot from the viral video.

The report details the situation shown in the viral video and additional information. The incident took place a few meters away from Mandhata police station, a village in the Pratapgarh District of Uttar Pradesh.

The article talks about a few men who took the law into their own hands and began uprooting a "gumti" or kiosk. A woman protested against the destruction of the kiosk, which the article states is her source of livelihood. The woman's small daughter rushes to help her but is beaten up. Those who attempt to intervene in the disrobing of the woman are beaten up.

Following this, we conducted another keyword search which included Hindi terms such as "मंधाता" and "पिटाई" (Mandhata and Beating). We came across this Amarujala report which provides more information about the assault against Anita Gupta and her daughters. The report describes Gupta as the Head of the local Self Help Group.

She had installed a kiosk in proximity to her previous residence, leading to a dispute between Gupta and a local resident Satyanaryan Soni. Soni and other men overturned the kiosk on March 30, 2022.

Following the assault on Gupta, women from the self-help groups gathered in front of the Mandhata police station on March 31, 2022. The women demanded justice for Gupta, which led to a stand-off between the police and the women.

We also came across this statement on social media shared by Pratapgarh Police. In the video, the Superintendent of Police explains that the violence between Gupta and Soni had been caused due to a land dispute. The Mandhata police station registered an FIR against the Soni after a complaint by the Guptas based on Section 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and Section 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation).

FIR against three members from both families was registered under Section 151 (assembly to cause disturbance of the public peace).

The Logical Indian team reached out to the Station in Incharge of Mandhata Police Station, Udayveer Singh. He said, "There is no RSS involvement in the incident as the viral social media posts claim. The incident was a land dispute between the Gupta and Soni families. The Sonis had a residence behind the kiosk that Gupta installed; as a result, an obstruction was created for them. This led to a dispute between the two parties. Soni attempted to remove the kiosk, and Gupta resisted, eventually leading to the assault on Anita Gupta and her daughters. The investigation into this incident is underway."

Conclusion:

The viral social media posts claim that RSS gangsters beat up and stripped a woman naked in Pratapgarh, India. The video has been shared claiming that extremist right-wing groups targeted a woman as she hadn't shut down her shop, which sold meat.

In actuality, the incident is a land dispute between Anita Gupta and Satyanaryan Soni and does not have a communal angle. The investigation into the assault on Gupta is underway, according to authorities at Mandhata Police Station.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also Read: Did JNU Students Fake Injuries During Violence At JNU? No, Images Viral With Fake Claim