Cop kills self in Kolkata, video falsely linked to protest against Nupur Sharma - Alt News
Abhishek Kumar
16th June 2022 / 4:37 pm
After now-suspended BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma made a controversial remark on Prophet Muhammad, members of the Muslim community across the country, including in Kolkata, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, protested against the remark. Several reports stated that violence occurred in some of these protests.
A video of a policeman lying dead on the road has been shared on social media against this backdrop. A rifle is lying next to his dead body, and a mob has surrounded him. It has been linked with the recent protests. A user named SS Nauhwar tweeted the video and claimed that the policeman was killed by a protesting mob in Kolkata. (Archive link)
Bhartiya Janata Party worker ‘Pt. Varun Parashar’ also tweeted this video with the same claim. (Archive link)
Facebook user Krishna Pandit amplified the claim.
This video is viral on Facebook and Twitter.
Alt News did a keyword search on Google to gather information related to the viral video. We found an NDTV report dated June 10, 2022, about the video. Due to the depiction of violence in the video, it has been blurred. The report states that Chodup Lepcha, a policeman posted at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, had fired several rounds with his service rifle before shooting and killing himself.
Telegraph reported that the constable had fired in “every possible direction”. 28-year-old Reema, who was passing by, was killed in this firing. Along with this, 19-year-old Mohammad Sarfaraz and 49-year-old Mohammad Bashir Alam were injured.
Hindustan Times reported that Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Additional Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, stated that the incident was unrelated to protests against Nupur Sharma’s remark. Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goel said that the matter is under investigation. His motive for indiscriminately firing before shooting himself is unknown.
Additional Commissioner of Police Praveen Tripathi said that Chodup had shot himself in his neck, as reported by The New Indian Express. “It seems Lepcha who shot himself in his neck was suffering from depression. It is yet to be ascertained whether his act was because of his mental condition,” ACP Tripathi was quoted by the outlet.
This incident is, therefore, unrelated to protests against Nupur Sharma’s remark. It must be reiterated that the constable shot himself and wasn’t “killed by protesters”.
Abhishek is a senior fact-checking journalist and researcher at Alt News. He has a keen interest in information verification and technology. He is always eager to learn new skills, explore new OSINT tools and techniques. Prior to joining Alt News, he worked in the field of content development and analysis with a major focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
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