Fact Check: Muslim youth tries to kill Hindu girl after rejection? No, UP cops dismiss communal motive
A video of a youth assaulting a girl in public in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, has gone viral with communal claims.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 8 Jan 2025 7:09 PM IST
Claim: The video shows a Muslim youth trying to strangle a Hindu girl in UP after she rejected his advances.
Fact: The claim is false. UP police arrested the attacker identified as Rahul, who belonged to the same community as the victim.
(Warning: This article contains sensitive content that some readers may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.)
Hyderabad: A disturbing video of a girl being strangled in public by a boy who has her head in a lock between his legs has gone viral.
Those sharing the video claim the video is from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh and the boy is a Muslim assaulting a Hindu girl after she rejected his advances. Several social media users have shared the video alleging a communal motive behind the incident.
An X user shared the video (warning: visuals of violence against women) with the caption, āAmroha UP: A jihadi tried to make a Hindu girl his victim when she refusedā (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)
The 28-second video shows a young man strangling a girl with a muffler on the road as bystanders intervene to rescue her. The girl is later seen lying on the ground, shaking from the assault.
Similar claims can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The accused in the case was identified as Rahul, who belonged to the same community as the girl. There was no communal motive behind the assault.
A reverse image search of the video led us to a report by Jagran titled, āRahul was angry with the girl for partying with friendsā¦ he stopped her on the road and strangled her, police arrested him in an encounterā, published on January 6, 2025.
The report contained screenshots from the viral video, identifying the accused as Rahul.
According to the article, Rahul attacked the victim, a medical student on January 4, 2025, in the Gajraula police station area of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul stopped her on the road, assaulted her and attempted to strangle her with a muffler. Villagers at the scene intervened and rescued her. The police took action after a video of the incident went viral.
According to the report, an FIR was filed against Rahul and a search was initiated. Fearing arrest, Rahul turned off his phone in Moradabad on Sunday morning and went into hiding at a relativeās house. The report also stated that Rahul was infatuated with the student for nearly two years. As their houses were only 100 meters apart, she spoke to him casually, considering him a neighbour from the same village.
We also found a report by Amar Ujala where Rahulās arrest was mentioned.
The article, titled āAttack on medical student in Gajraula: The person who strangled her with a muffler in public was caught; video of the accused apologising went viralā, was published on January 6, 2025.
The report included photos of the accused and details of his subsequent arrest. Police identified Rahul as a resident of the victimās village. After the incident, Rahul absconded but was later apprehended at a relativeās house in Moradabad.
Another report by Uttar Pradesh Times debunked claims of a communal angle, stating, āThis case was initially publicised on social media by linking it to ālove jihadā, but this claim was proved completely false in the police investigation. Both the accused and the victim belong to the same community.ā
The report cited the Amroha police saying, āBoth the boy and the girl are from the same village and belong to the same community. The claims circulating on social media are false.ā
Therefore, the viral claim stating a communal motive in the Amroha incident is false. The police confirmed that the accused Rahul attacked the medical student due to personal reasons. The accused and the victim belong to the same community.
