Seven Indian media outlets link police to Dipu's killing using unrelated video

Multiple Indian media outlets are circulating a video in reports about the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a Bangladesh national, claiming the footage shows his final moments before death. The reports try to show how on December 18 the Bangladesh police allegedly handed Dipu Chandra over to a mob. However, multiple fact-checking organizations have already reported that the video is from a different incident that took place one month before the killing. Even after fact-check reports were published, at least seven Indian media outlets published more than a dozen reports using the same video.

Republic World tried to establish the video as footage from the Dipu Chandra Das killing by using an incorrect date, December 18. Without citing any specific source or verifying the claim, the outlet  described the video as “viral on social media.” The same video was also used in a video report on its Facebook page. Before that report was published, Bangladeshi fact-checking organization Rumor Scanner had already published a detailed report showing that the person in the video was someone else.

News18 Bangla is claiming this November 17th video from Dhaka to be from Mymensingh, saying, “Bangladesh police did not save Dipu” and “Continuous crying, Dipu Das begging for life.” Journalist Sanhyik Ghosh cited the false video and questioned why the Bangladesh administration was supporting the killing.

Claiming police handed Dipu Das to a mob, he said, “RAB officials from Bangladesh said that the floor in-charge at Dipu Chandra Das’ workplace handed him over to the mob. But the images now show police officers present. The youth is begging them for his life. Even then, he is being handed over to the mob.”

Based on this unrelated video, he said the Bangladesh administration was openly supporting such actions.

Using the same fact-checked video, a News18 Bangla anchor said, “Dipu Das sought shelter from the police. But the police failed to ensure his safety.” She added, “Despite begging the police for his life, the brutal outcome shows clear administrative failure.”

In another video report, News18 Bangla repeated the same claims. The anchor was heard saying, “Bangladesh police handed Dipu to criminals. This is the video before Dipu Das was killed. Dipu cried and begged the police. Bangladesh police abandoned him. Then Dipu Das was beaten and burned to death.”

Within six hours and five minutes, the outlet published three reports (1, 2, 3) using the same unrelated video on its YouTube channel. During that time, Dismislab also published a detailed fact-check report debunking the claim.

CNN-News18 used the video in a 7-minute, 58-second report, calling it a “new video” of the killing. The report presented four videos in sequence to reconstruct the events of that day. While showing the unrelated clip, the anchor read scrolling headlines such as “Pleaded with Bangladesh cops,” “Cops left Das to die,” “Das left to be lynched,” and “cops handed him over to mob.”

Citing the source as “the latest footage as has been posted by the Bharatiya Janata Party,” the anchor said, “Cops handing over Dipu Chandra Das to the angry mob even as he begged and pleaded that he’s innocent”. She added, “Now that we are privy to that entire video with him pleading to the cops for not exactly for mercy but also claiming that he has been innocent. The cops did go ahead and hand him over to the lynch mob.” 

Journalist Pallavi Ghosh of the outlet added, “There are visuals of Deepu das sitting at the police station in Dhaka where he’s explaining his point of view, asking for protection but he never got any of it. If you look at the pictures which have been put out by the BJP, he can be seen talking to someone on the phone. He was speaking to his family”. However, the killing took place in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, not Dhaka. Multiple fact-check reports from Bangladesh (1, 2) and India (1, 2) have confirmed that the person in the phone video was not Dipu Chandra Das.

On CNN-News18’s Facebook page, the same unrelated video was used. The news presenter was heard saying, “The very protectors of law and order became the perpetrators of this abominable, immoral act. Look at the way the Bangladesh Police failed to fulfill their duty. They, in fact, handed Deepu over to these Islamic radicals.” Fact-checking groups in Bangladesh, including Rumor Scanner, Dismislab, FactWatch and The Dissent, had already declared the video irrelevant. In India, Alt News, India Today and Boom also published fact-checks.

Despite multiple fact-checks in both countries, R Plus News aired a report again calling the video Dipu’s final moments. Based on the unrelated video, the anchor said, “This video exposes Muhammad Yunus’ shameless conspiracy. It proves Yunus’ police are responsible for Dipu’s murder. Yunus’ police could have saved him but did not.”

She added, “Yunus’ police did not let minority Hindu Dipu Das live,” and “Yunus’ police took the life of a minority Hindu in Bangladesh.” She asked whether the police had joined hands with “jihadis.” The outlet acknowledged it did not verify the authenticity of the video used in its 10-minute, 38-second report.

Aaj Tak Bangla also aired the video, writing, “Police are taking Dipu Chandra Das away.” The outlet stated that it had not verified the video. However, Aaj Tak Bangla itself had published a fact-check one day earlier confirming the video was not of Dipu Chandra Das.

The Free Press Journal and The Times of India (1, 2) also published reports presenting the same video as Dipu Chandra Das. Citing other media reports, The Times of India wrote, “police personnel along with his floor manager may have handed him over to the mob police.” Although the video was aired before fact-checking, it had not been removed from The Times of India’s website or YouTube channel at the time of writing the report.

Jonathan Foster, a former lecturer at the University of Sheffield’s journalism department, once explained journalistic responsibility by saying, “If someone tells you it’s raining and another tells you it’s dry, it’s not your job to quote them both. It’s your job to look out the fuc**** window and find out which is true.” That effort was absent in the Indian media reports mentioned here. Despite stating “not verified” or ignoring verified facts, these outlets continued to spread false information.

Dipu Chandra Das, a garment worker and Hindu, was beaten by a mob and burned to death in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, over allegations of insulting religion. Police later said that after reviewing confessions from some accused, they found no confirmation of religious defamation.