A CCTV footage showing a car running over a minor girl and a woman in Madhya Pradesh's Indore while they were making rangoli is circulating with a false communal narrative on social media. Several captions have falsely stated that the video shows a deliberate attempt to run over Hindu girls in an attempt to kill them.
BOOM in its fact check found that there is no communal angle in the incident - the accused in the case is Hindu minor boy and ran over two Hindu girls in Indore.
The video is being shared on Facebook with a caption in Hindi that translates to, "Hindus and Hindu sisters and daughters are being killed through proper planning. Whereas Hindus think that this is a tragic accident. Don't know where this video is from but the purpose of running over women who are doing rangoli is clear. They also know that Hindus will peacefully light candles and do nothing."
BOOM has chosen not to include the video as it is extremely disturbing in nature. Here is an archive of the post.
Another user on X posted the video with a similar misleading claim. Click here for an archive link of the X post.
The video was also received on BOOM's tipline number for verification request.
Fact Check: No communal angle to the incident
We first ran a keyword search on the incident and found multiple news reports in which the viral video is also mentioned. None of the reports mention a communal angle to the incident.
According to an NDTV report, Navya, 14 and Priyanshi, 20, were making rangolis outside their house in Indore's Raj Nagar when a speeding car ran over them. Soon after they were trapped under the car and were later taken to the hospital after being rescued.
The report also states that the accused car driver, a minor, fled from the spot and was later taken into custody.
According to an Aaj Tak report, the incident happened in the Aerodrome police station area in Indore on October 28.
DCP Vinod Kumar Meena was quoted as saying that the 17-year-old accused was driving the car of his acquaintance. Police was further quoted as saying that the accused minor was detained from Betma area and the car was seized.
A statement of DCP Zone-A Vinod Kumar Meena was also posted by ANI Hindi's X handle. The victims were admitted to Medanta Hospital after the accident. The condition of the 19-year-old woman is stable, while the condition of the 13-year-old girl remains critical. According to DCP Vinod Kumar Meena's statement, it was also revealed in the investigation that people had a hand in the accused's escape.
BOOM then contacted Shyam Lal Tanwar, the investigating officer (IO) for confirmation. He told BOOM, "There is no communal angle to the incident. The accused is a minor and belongs to the Hindu community. He does not know how to drive properly and does not have a license. He has been sent to a juvenile home. Apart from this, the relative who tried to give him shelter has also been arrested. At present, the girl has been discharged from the hospital. The condition of the other child is still critical."
