On December 23, a Hindutva organization named ‘Bangiya Hindu Jagran Manch’ protested in front of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to protest the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh and the killing of Dipu Chandra Das. Police used a lathi-charge to control the situation, in which several protesters were injured. During this time, several photos of Republic Bangla news presenter and journalist Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh were circulated on social media claiming he was injured in the police lathi-charge. The circulated photos show blood on Mayukh’s shirt.
See such photos circulated on Facebook here (archive), here (archive) and here (archive).
See the same photo circulated on Instagram here (archive).
Fact-check
The Rumor Scanner team’s investigation shows that the claim of Republic Bangla news presenter and journalist Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh being injured in a police lathi-charge during a protest in front of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata is not correct. In fact, blood from a different young man injured in the police lathi-charge got onto Mayukh’s shirt. When he posted a photo of it on his Facebook profile, it was subsequently circulated on social media with the discussed claim.
In the investigation of the discussed claim, a post containing the same photos was found from December 23 through a review of Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh’s Facebook account.
In the caption of the post, he wrote that when a young man injured in the police lathi-charge in front of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission that day hugged him, that young man’s blood got onto his shirt. This confirms that the blood on Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh’s shirt is not his own.
Subsequent investigation found a live video by Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh from in front of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission on the same day on Republic Bangla’s YouTube channel. From the 40-second mark of the live video, it can be seen that Mayukh’s shirt gets stained with blood while he was trying to pick up a young man injured in the protest from the ground.
Additionally, another video was seen being broadcast on Republic Bangla on December 24, reporting on the physical condition of the injured boy.
Therefore, the claim that Republic Bangla journalist Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh was injured by the Police during a protest in front of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata is completely false.
Sources
- Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh Facebook Post
- Republic Bangla Youtube Channel: Sanatanis’ protest in front of Bangladesh High Commission in Beckbagan. Police lathi-charge randomly failing to handle it
- Republic Bangla Youtube Channel: Mayukh’s shirt soaked in Sanatani blood! Mockery by Bangladeshi jihadis! Is this what Mamata Banerjee wanted?
- Rumor Scanner’s Analysis