Clip Shows Muslim Men Attacking a Hindu Priest in Rajasthan? No, Claim Is False

The Quint spoke to DCP Jodhpur East who confirmed that the incident had no communal angle.

Fact-Check | The clip shows two people attacking a lawyer and later killing him in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

(Editor's note: The story was first published on 26 February 2023 and is being republished in the light of the video recirculating with a claim that it shows an attack on migrants from Bihar in Tamil Nadu.)

A video of a person brutally attacking a man with a sharp weapon in broad daylight is going viral on the internet.

What are users claiming?: Those sharing the clip claimed that it shows Muslim men attacking a Hindu priest and his family in Rajasthan's Dudu village.

(Note: We have refrained from adding any archive links due to the distressing nature of the visuals.)

The caption mentions that the attack happened when the priest was preparing for Mahashivratri.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

The same video was later shared to claim that it shows people from Bihar being attacked in Tamil Nadu. Several social media users, including Hindi news organisation ABP News Bihar, shared the claim.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

Are these claims true?: While the video is from Rajasthan, it shows two men attacking and allegedly murdering a lawyer named Jugraj Chauhan in Jodhpur.

• The Quint spoke to DCP Jodhpur East, Dr Amrita Duhan, who refuted the viral claims and said all the accused and victim belonged to the same community.

What led us to the truth?: A keyword search led us to a report published on Dainik Bhaskar on 19 February, which contained similar visuals as the viral clip.

• It mentioned that two people attacked a lawyer in Jodhpur with a knife on Saturday, 18 February. The lawyer died after a rock was smashed on his head by the accused.

• The victim was identified as Jugraj Chauhan, who was a resident of the Bhadwasiya area in Jodhpur.

• The report further said that the accused - Anil Chauhan and Mukesh Chauhan - have been arrested. Both parties were involved in a dispute for a long time.

The report carried the picture of the victim.

(Source: Dainik Bhaskar/Screenshot)

What did the police say?: We found a tweet reply by the official handle of DCP Jodhpur East to one of the users who uploaded the viral video on their account.

• It said that the incident had been registered at Mata Ka Than police station, and the accused had been arrested.

• Both parties were involved in a family property dispute.

Taking this forward, we contacted Dr Amrita Duhan, DCP Jodhpur East, who told The Quint, "Both the accused belonged to the same community and were distant relatives."

• Duhan confirmed that both parties were involved in a family property dispute for a long time.

• She further said that the investigation is underway, and the accused have been arrested.

Protests in Jodhpur: According to reports, the incident has led to advocates protesting in the city. They have demanded a law to protect advocates and compensation to the family of Jugraj Chauhan.

Conclusion: The video of a lawyer's murder in Jodhpur is being shared by giving the incident a false communal spin.

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