Fact Check: Viral image does not show Kolkata rape accused with Sandip Ghosh

An X user shared the image and wrote, “Kolkata horror accused celebrated his birthday in Ex Principal Sandip Ghosh office.” (Archive)

Republic World also reported the image, making the same claim.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the man in the image is Prasun Chatterjee, a data operator at Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMC & H) and a personal assistant to Sandip Ghosh.

On conducting a reverse image search, we found a series of photos shared by the Instagram account CNMCH RDA (Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital Resident Doctors Association) on August 28. One of the photos was the viral photo which identified the man cutting the cake as Prasun Chatterjee, an employee at CNMC & H and a close associate of Ghosh. It also called for an investigation into Chatterjee’s connection with Ghosh and alleged corruption within the institution.

We also found a report by the Times of India, published on August 30, titled ‘Kolkata Police to Issue Fresh Notices Over Fake News.; The report clarified that the viral photo does not depict Ghosh with Sanjay Roy, the accused in the rape and murder case. While the report doesn’t name the individual in the photo, it is confirmed that he was Ghosh’s personal data operator.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Riju Dutta in an X post also clarified that the man cutting a cake standing next to Ghosh in the viral photo is Prasun Chatterjee, a data operator at Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMC & H).

Hence, we conclude that the image does not show Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the rape and murder of a young female doctor, celebrating his birthday with Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College. The claim is false.