By Hazel Gandhi
A gruesome video of a man brutally attacking a doctor in Nashik, Maharashtra, with a sickle is viral online with the false claim that the accused is a Muslim.
BOOM found that the claims are false, the accused is a Hindu named Rajendra More who attacked the doctor over a financial dispute. There is no communal angle to the incident.
Dr Kailash Rathi, a chest physician and critical care specialist was attacked in Panchavati, Nashik on February 23, 2024. A disturbing video of the incident is circulating on social media that shows the attacker using the sickle multiple times to attack Rathi.
The video is being shared online with the claim that the attacker is a Muslim. A caption on Facebook reads, "Today's most heart-wrenching video. Jihadi attacker entered the ICU in Suyog Hospital, Nashik, Maharashtra and attacked Dr. Kailash Rathi with a sharp weapon. Due to multiple indiscriminate attacks in 30 seconds, Dr. Kailash Rathi died on the spot. It is said that this person was a friend of the doctor!!"
(Original text in Hindi: *दिल थाम कर देखिए आज का सबसे ज्यादा दिल दहलाने वाला वीडियो• महाराष्ट्र, नासिक के सुयोग हास्पिटल में जेहादी हमलावर ने आईसीयू के अन्दर घुसकर डा• कैलाश राठी पर धारदार हथियार से प्रहार किया, 30 सेकेन्ड में अन्धाधुन्ध किये गए कई प्रहारों के कारण डा• कैलाश राठी कि घटनास्थल पर ही मृत्यु हो गईl यह बताया जाता है कि यह व्यक्ति डॉक्टर का दोस्त था!! हर हिंदू को जिहादियों से दूर रहना चाहिए उन पर विश्वास नहीं करना चाहिए भाईचारा गया तेल लेने)
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FACT CHECK
BOOM found that the communal claims are false, the accused is a Hindu man name Rajendra More who attacked Dr Rathi over a financial dispute.
A keyword search of the incident on Google led us to several reports about the incident. This Indian Express report from February 26, 2024, carried a visual matching the viral video. According to this report, the incident took place in Panchavati, Nashik, on February 23 after which Dr Rathi was admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
The report quotes a police official who stated that the accused was Dr Rathi's former employee's husband. The accused man's wife had allegedly misappropriated funds of around Rs 6 lakh when she was an employee at the hospital, after which she was let go and reinstated again a few years later. "She again took Rs 12 lakh from the doctor but refused to pay it back," the official said.
A similar report was published by NDTV.
Another report by The Times of India informed that Dr Rathi was attacked by More around 9:30 pm at his clinic in Dindori Naka. The report clearly stated that the accused was Rajendra More, who was arrested the next day. It also carried a statement from the Commissioner of Police, Sandeep Karnik, who said that the attack was the result of a personal dispute and that More would be interrogated for further information.
BOOM also gained access of the FIR registered in the case and found that both Rajendra More and his wife, Rohini More were charged under sections 307 of the IPC related to attempted murder and section 4/25 of the Arms Act.
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