RSS Paraded a Christian Woman Naked in Bihar, Video: Fact Check

Story:

Radical Hindus aka RSS group Stripped and Paraded a Christian Woman Naked in Bihar

Other Versions

Bihar: A Christian woman was stripped naked, beaten & paraded through the streets by radical Hindus aka RSS. The group burned her house before they dragged her out onto the street. India is becoming a “dangerous place” for minorities. God forbid!

Fact Check:

A shocking message doing rounds on Twitter and other social media platforms claims to show RSS stripped & paraded a Christian woman naked in Bihar. Accompanying video in fact shows a group of people beating and parading a naked woman through the streets. However, the claims saying RSS ill-treating a Christian woman are not true.

Image of story about RSS Paraded a Christian Woman Naked in Bihar, Video on Twitter

Not RSS People Parading a Christian Woman Naked

A parody account in the name of Rani Mukerji @NotMukerji tweeted the story in question in early October 2019. However, the context of the unfortunate incident shown in the video is unlike what is told in the messages mentioned above.

Shocking images from the video

The incident happened on 20th August 2018 in a red-light area of Bhojpur district in Bihar after suspicion on the woman’s involvement in the death of a young man. Angry residents of Damodarpur gathered in large numbers in the red light area and started protesting. They suspected those living in the red-light area nearby would have strangled the boy to death and then threw him near railway track. An angry mob started beating residents in the area and dragged the woman out of her home. Consequently, they stripped and paraded her naked on the streets of Bihiya, a small town in Bihar. They also set fire to some shops, houses and vehicles in the neighborhood. Below is a news report after the incident.

Aftermath of the Unfortunate Incident

Police arrested around 15 men involved in the assault case and reportedly, the woman was undergoing treatment in a hospital. In contrast to the claims, she denied involvement in the murder. On the other hand, some policemen, including the station house officer (SHO) of Bihiya police station were suspended for negligence in controlling the situation. Thereupon, most people on social media described the unfortunate incident as shocking and shameful. Some also mentioned the woman – said to be a Dalit – became an easy target of the mob. During the naked parade on street, the woman has a black cloth tied around her upper left arm.

So, the unfortunate incident in the video does not actually show a group of RSS people stripping and parading a Christian woman on streets of Bihar. The incident is rather a violent aftermath of an alleged murder of a young boy.