There is no truth to the viral video that allegedly shows the ‘last moments’ of a victim at RG Kar Hospital

The verdict INCORRECT

The viral video shows a make-up artist and not the trainee doctor who was found dead in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

(Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of rape and sexual abuse. Reader discretion is requested.)

What is the claim?

A short video clip of a woman with visible injuries on her neck and face has gone viral on social media. It is claimed that the video shows the last moments of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, who was found dead in a seminar room on August 9, 2024, after being raped and murdered.

Various users on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube have shared the video with similar claims and demanded justice for the victim. Archived versions of some posts can be accessed Here, HereAnd Here.

However, our investigation revealed that the video actually shows a makeup artist and not the victim from RG Kar Hospital as claimed.

What did we find?

A reverse image search using keyframes from the viral video led us to Facebook posts who attributed the clip to an account named 'Zeenat Rahman' (archived Here).

Rahman's Facebook account bio lists them as “ARTISTS,” but it is locked to the public; the linked Instagram account is also inactive.

However, a keyword search on Facebook revealed publicly available posts that identified Rahman as a makeup artist. post (archived Here) included photos of a woman resembling the one in the viral video holding a sign that read “Zeenat.” The caption suggested that Rahman had created the makeup look.

Further research in Facebook groups on the topic of makeup artists led us to the ‘Make-up artist' Group (archived Here) with around two million members. Rahman has been a member of this group since March 11, 2020.

We found several Photos (archived Here And Here) by Rahman presents Bollywood-inspired makeup looks and Halloween-thematic creations (archived Here) with wounds.

We also found out that Rahman had published another post photo (archived Here) was released on October 1, 2020, featuring makeup mimicking bruises and used as part of efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence.

Visual comparison

A visual comparison of the woman in the viral video with pictures of Rahman from the Facebook group further indicates that they are the same person.

Logically Facts contacted Atoofa Khushnood, the founder of Busqueensa women's rights group based in Kolkata. Khushnood, a friend of Rahman, had uploaded a post on Facebook in which Rahman is holding a sign with her name on it. She confirmed that the viral video shows Rahman, a makeup artist, and not the RG Kar Hospital murder victim.

“Zeenat made the video to convey the suffering of [RG Kar Hospital victim] as a call for justice. Her intention was merely to pay tribute and raise awareness. She posted the video on her personal profile with no intention of misleading anyone. Unfortunately, some social media sites downloaded the video and shared it with misleading captions, which has created confusion,” Khushnood explained.

Logically Facts has also reached out to Rahman for comment on the viral video. This fact check will be updated upon receipt of a response.

Furthermore, no credible reports have emerged mentioning a video consistent with the claim in question.

Murder case at RG Kar Hospital

The victim was According to reports found dead, half-clothed, with “abrasions on cheeks, lips, nose, neck, arms and knees as well as injuries to sensitive areas,” according to the autopsy Conclusions.

Amid nationwide protests, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has scheduled the next hearing for August 22, by which time the CBI and the West Bengal government are expected to submit their respective reports.

Following the Supreme Court’s directions, the CBI has taken over responsibility for the case from the Kolkata police and has reportedly been given permission to Lie detector According to sources, the accused Sanjoy Roy was subjected to a test.

The victim's parents expressed concern over efforts to suppress the protests and criticised the handling of the case by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government.

Meanwhile, healthcare services across the country have been disrupted as doctors continue their strike for the tenth day in a row.

The verdict

The viral video actually features a make-up artist and does not show the murder victim's “final moments” at RG Kar Hospital as claimed.

(This report first appeared on logicalfacts.comand has been republished on ABP Live under a special arrangement. ABP Live has edited the report's headline and cover image in the republishing)