Fact Check: Muslim man lynched for refusing Holi colours in Rajasthan’s Dausa? No, the victim was Hindu

A video showing a ruckus inside a library is circulating on social media with the claim that a Muslim man was lynched for refusing to play Holi with Hindu men.

An X user shared the video with the caption, “A Muslim man was lynched inside a library by Hindutva men in Rajasthan, India because he refused to play Holi.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim false. Speaking to NewsMeter SHO of Dausa confirmed that the deceased was not from the Muslim community.

A reverse image of the video’s keyframes led us to the same footage in a video report published by NDTV Rajasthan on March 13. According to the channel, the student was beaten to death for refusing to be smeared with colours in a library of Ralawas village, located in the Ramgarh Pachwara police station area of Dausa district, Rajasthan.

The channel also reported that the deceased has been identified as 25-year-old Hansraj, who was preparing for competitive exams.

Following this lead, NewsMeter spoke to Ramsharan Gurjar, SHO of Dausa’s Ramgarh Pachwara police station, who dismissed the communal claim. He clarified that both the deceased and the three accused belonged to the Hindu Meena community.

He confirmed, “After the scuffle in a library of Ralawas village, Hansraj Meena was declared dead at the hospital.” He further stated, “Ashok, Bablu, and Kaluram who are brothers were involved, and among them, Bablu has been apprehended.”

We also came across a report by The Indian Express, published on March 15, titled “25-year-old killed in Rajasthan’s Dausa for refusing Holi colours.”

According to the report, Dinesh Agarwal, Additional SP (Lalsot), stated that around 4 PM on March 12, a fight broke out among some students in the library. During the altercation, Hansraj sustained head injuries, which led to his death.

Thus, the claim that the viral video depicts a Muslim man being lynched for refusing to play Holi is false.