Trigger Warning: Torture, Sexual Violence
A photo of a woman with her hands tied, mouth gagged and a stick inserted in her private parts is viral on social media. Claiming that the incident happened in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, several users called into question the state of law and order in Uttar Pradesh.
An X (formerly Twitter) user, @divyakumaari, shared the picture with the caption, “शर्म करो इंसान ये मामला मदनपुर देवरिया UP का है। महिला से कैसे अत्याचार किया जा रहा है। ये हालत है up मे महिलाओं के.” The tweet has received over 80,000 views. (Archive)
A verified profile on X, ओबीसी महासभा (रजि.) (@OBC_MP), shared the image with the caption, “This shameful and gruesome case is from Belarghat Madanpur, Deoria, UP. See the picture… I should not have posted such a picture here but I am daring to post it with trembling hands. I don’t have the courage to see it… So disgusting ohhh! I don’t know how much pain the brutes must have caused this girl. Ramrajya? In what sense is this Ram’s kingdom? The government is failing, it is failing, all this is happening every day and if Chief Minister Yogi ji is just holding the chair, it means when will strict steps be taken for the welfare of the public?” The post has received over 25,000 views. (Archive)
यह शर्मनाक और विभत्स मामला बेलारघाट मदनपुर, देवरिया, UP का है।
तस्वीर देखिये…
मुझे ऐसी तस्वीर यहां नही डालनी चाहिए थी लेकिन काँपते हाथों से तस्वीर डालने की हिम्मत कर रहा हूँ। हिम्मत ही नहीं पड़ रही है इसे देखने की…इतना वीभत्स ओह्ह! ना जाने कितना दर्द कितना कितना तड़पाया… pic.twitter.com/HY4EdfgNaF
— ओबीसी महासभा (रजि.) (@OBC_MP) December 7, 2023
Social media users also amplified the claim on X and Facebook.
Fact Check
A reverse image search on Google with the viral picture led us to a tweet by @MonikaC32995181 on July 2022 with the caption, “@CMOfficeUP Maharaj ji, if the accused is the Mandal President of BJP and many of his relatives are also BJP leaders, have you given him permission to do this to me? @DeoriaPolice Why are you so afraid to lay hands on them? Yogi ji, you are also responsible for what is happening to me.”
The tweet contained the complaint letter submitted to the Madanpur Police in UP by the woman’s husband, Satish Kumar Singh. It states that the incident took place on the night of July 19, 2022.
We also noted that on July 22, 2022, Deoria Police tweeted a videographed statement by SP Deoria where the police officer informs that the main accused in the case, the brother-in-law of the victim, was arrested based on allegations by the victim against her own family members (father-in-law, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law etc.)
थाना मदनपुर क्षेत्रातंर्गत एक पीड़िता द्वारा अपने ही परिवारजन (ससुर, देवर, सास, ननद आदि) के विरुद्ध लगाए गए कतिपय आरोपों के संबंध में थाना मदनपुर पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत करते हुए मुख्य अभियुक्त की गिरफ्तारी किए जाने के संबंध में #SPDeoria की बाइट। pic.twitter.com/hDbEyPfnkI
— DEORIA POLICE (@DeoriaPolice) July 22, 2022
We found several news reports related to the case. A 2022 report by Zee News states in Hindi, “Satish Kumar Singh, resident of Beruar Ghat of Madanpur police station area of Deoria district, married Monica in Delhi eight years ago. The husband of the victim woman says that since then his family members have been torturing him for an inter-caste marriage. Satish says that he used to run his business in Delhi, but due to frequent beatings by his family members, his business got ruined. He was also forced to come to the village, where his wife was beaten. Satish says that his family members have only one demand that he should leave his wife and marry someone else.”
Another 2022 report by The Lallantop states, “Deoria SP Sankalp Sharma said that the victim and her husband had made serious allegations against their family members, including her mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle. An FIR has been registered. And the main accused, brother-in-law Abhishek Singh, has been arrested. Further investigation is underway.”
To sum up, the picture depicting a woman, with her hands tied, her mouth gagged and a stick inserted in her private parts is from an incident which happened in 2022 in UP, where the main accused was arrested by Deoria Police.
Abira Das is an intern at Alt News.
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