There is news circulating from Gopalganj, Bihar, regarding the murder of a temple priest. A number of users shared the news, emphasising the deceased’s religious identity and portraying it as a religious hate crime.
Verified accounts on twitter, including Mr Sinha (“@MrSinha_“) tweeted “Shocking : In Gopalganj, Bihar a Hindu priest is brutally kiIIed. His eyes, tongue & private parts were chopped off. He has been missing for the last 5 days & when the police found his body, it was in very bad condition. Locals are protesting against the administration!!”. The tweet was made on Dec 17, 2023, which has received an about 65.8k views on X.
Shocking : In Gopalganj, Bihar a Hindu priest is brutally kiIIed. His eyes, tongue & private parts were chopped off.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) December 17, 2023
He has been missing for the last 5 days & when the police found his body, it was in very bad condition.
Locals are protesting against the administration!! pic.twitter.com/shjJP3eRJL
Several other accounts, including Amit Shah (Parody) (“@Motabhai012“), @SouleFacts, Amitabh Chaudhary (“@MithilaWaala“), @KumaarSaagar also made the same claim that the state and the district have been shocked by the brutal murder of a Hindu priest in the Gopalganj district. The priest, who had been missing for the previous five days, was discovered dead. The priest had his tongue and private parts cut off and his eyes gouged out. The archive can be read from above.
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
Police in Gopalganj have taken into custody the deceased’s ex-girlfriend and other accused. Neha Kumari, his ex-girlfriend, acknowledged her role in the crime during questioning. She claimed that Manoj Shah was threatening to make her obscene/private video viral.
The official account of Gopalganj Police (“@GopalganjPolice“) tweeted “मनोज साह हत्या कांड का उदभेद्न @bihar_police @BiharHomeDept @DigSaran @swarnprabhat516” on Dec 18, 2023.
मनोज साह हत्या कांड का उदभेद्न@bihar_police @BiharHomeDept @DigSaran @swarnprabhat516 pic.twitter.com/mFvntfaH2u
— Gopalganj Police (@GopalganjPolice) December 18, 2023
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
1446
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) December 18, 2023
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: News is being circulated from Gopalganj, Bihar, about the murder of a temple priest; several users circulated the news while highlighting the religious identity of the deceased and projected it as a religious hate crime. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/SaN0tjhnlb
Intent:
Propagandists are circulating heinous news with communal claims to set their narrative based on religion. The murder of a temple priest in Gopalganj, Bihar, has been reported by several users, who have highlighted the deceased’s religious identity and projected it as a religious hate crime. But, after proper research, analysis and fact-checking, we have discovered that Gopalganj police have apprehended the deceased’s ex-girlfriend and other suspects. During interrogation, his ex-girlfriend Neha Kumari admitted to her involvement in the crime. She claimed Manoj Shah threatened to make her obscene/private video viral.
Conclusion:
Claim : The murder of a temple priest is being reported in Gopalganj, Bihar; several users have spread the word while emphasising the deceased’s religious identity and portraying it as a religious hate crime.
Fact : Police in Gopalganj have arrested the deceased’s ex-girlfriend as well as the other accused. During interrogation, his ex-girlfriend Neha Kumari confessed to her role in the crime. She claimed Manoj Shah was threatening to make her obscene/private video viral.
