A graphic video of a murder that took place in Delhi's Tigri on August 2 this year, has recently been shared with a false communal claim that it shows the brutal killing of a Hindu by a Muslim man in broad daylight.
BOOM found that the murder happened over a loan repayment issue between the victim and the accused; we also reached out to Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa who refuted any communal angle to the incident.
The 2 minute-long graphic clip shows disturbing visuals of a man stabbing another in front of a bookstore, as passersby watch in horror. In the video, the killer can be seen using a sharp weapon to stab the victim after which the latter's lifeless body lies in a pool of blood.
BOOM received the video on its WhatsApp tipline number (7700906588) for verification with a claim that says, "A muslim guy brutally murdered a hindu boy". (sic.)
BOOM has chosen not to include the video due to its graphic nature.
Fact Check
BOOM performed a reverse image search on Google with keyframes from the video and found several news reports carrying screengrabs from the viral video.
One such report published by India Today on August 2, 2023, states, " A 21-year-old man was stabbed to death in south Delhi's Tigri area on Wednesday over an alleged dispute involving Rs 3,000, the police said. The video showed the accused, identified as Shahrukh, repeatedly stabbing the victim, Yusuf, outside a shop."
Hindustan Times also reported about the incident on August 3, 2023, stating that Yusuf's father Sahid Ali alleged that he was chased by three-four people before his murder.
Taking a cue, we reached out to Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa to verify details about the incident. When asked about the communal claim, Nalwa confirmed that there is no communal angle to the incident.
Nalwa told BOOM, "Yusuf's father Sahid Ali told the police that a boy named Shahrukh threatened his son over some monetary issue three to four days prior to the incident. Sahid also mentioned that his son Yusuf had borrowed three thousand rupees from Shahrukh earlier. Both the accused and the victim are Muslim in this case."