News is making rounds on social media platforms stating that a priest was shot dead, eyes gouged out, private parts damaged, and killed in ISIS-style in Gopalganj, Bihar. Users on social media platforms are fiercely sharing this video and criticizing the horrific condition of Bihar.
User who shared this News
Sharing a video on X(Twitter), a user by the name of Mr. Sinha who claims to be an Indian political commentator and disseminated several false news earlier, wrote: “Shocking : In Gopalganj, Bihar a Hindu priest is brutally killed. His eyes, tongue and 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”.
The archive link can be seen here
Other users also shared this claim
Furthermore, we found that news was shared by other users on X(Twitter) with similar claims.
Fact-Check
To determine the reality of viral news, the DFRAC team conducted a keyword search and found a video on the official X(Twitter) handle of Gopalganj Police featuring a statement made by the Superintendent of Police. According to the statement, the deceased named Manoj Saha, was not a priest. He was a caretaker at the Temple. The Priests of the temple are safe.
Press release by Gopalganj Police
Following this, we also found a press release on the X(Twitter) handle of Gopalganj Police describing that entire incident. According to press release, the deceased was having an affair with a village girl which turned out be the reason behind his murder.
Conclusion
It is clear from DFRAC’s Fact-Check that the man who was shot dead in Gopalganj, Bihar was not a priest but only a caretaker at the Temple.
Analysis: Misleading
