2022 video of Uttarakhand woman’s murder shared with false communal claims

(Trigger warning: This report contains descriptions of graphic violence. Reader discretion is advised. Logically Facts has not included links to the video due to its violent content.)

What is the claim? 

A graphic video circulating on social media purportedly shows the corpse of a woman in a suitcase, with claims that she was a 'Hindu woman' murdered by a man belonging to the Muslim community. The video depicts a man being detained by bystanders next to the suitcase containing the woman's body.

On X (formerly Twitter), one user shared the video with the caption: “A victim of love jihad. Another Hindu girl. It is being said that a Muslim man named Mohammad Aayan killed his Hindu girlfriend. The body was found in a suitcase (translated from Hindi)."

Another user commented: “All Abduls are the same... another suitcase... another story.” (Logically Facts is not providing live or archive links to the video due to its graphic nature).

Screenshots of the viral video on social media. (Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Modified by Logically Facts)

The term “love jihad” is a far-right conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men enter relationships with Hindu women to convert them. Logically Facts has previously fact-checked similar claims involving this theory here, here, and here. 

However, the viral claim is false. Our investigation revealed that both the deceased and the accused are from the Muslim community.

What we found 

A reverse image search using keyframes from the viral video led us to an article published by News18 on March 26, 2022 (archived here). Titled “Kaliyar Murder Case: Girl's Body Found in Suitcase, Boy Fabricated Story Before Revealing Motive,” the article included a photo of the accused and a blurred image of the corpse featured in the viral video.

It identified the deceased as "Ramsha" and the accused as "Gulzeb," reporting that Ramsha's body was discovered in a suitcase at the Dun Sabri Hotel in Piran Kaliyar, Uttarakhand, on March 24, 2022.

We also found a report from ETV Bharat, dated March 25, 2022 (archived here), featuring a video of Haridwar SP Rural Pramendra Singh Dobal. In the video, Dobal confirms that Gulzeb and Ramsha were in a relationship. He stated that Gulzeb confessed to killing Ramsha after she refused to marry him. Dobal also noted that Gulzeb was arrested under IPC Section 302 (punishment for murder).

Further coverage by The Times of India and Jagran confirmed the identities of the deceased as Ramsha and the accused as Gulzeb.

Logically Facts reviewed the First Information Report (FIR) (archived here) registered at the Piran Kaliyar station on March 25, 2022. The FIR lists the deceased as “Ramsha, daughter of Rashid, from Mangalore,” and the accused as “Gulzeb, son of Sanawwar.”
 

Screenshot of the FIR that names the deceased, Ramsha, and the accused, Gulzeb. (Source: Uttarakhandpolice.uk.gov)

We have contacted the police officials handling the case and will update this report once we receive a response.

The verdict 

Our investigation confirms that there is no communal angle to the claim. The FIR lodged at the Kaliyar Sharif station indicates that both the deceased and the accused are members of the Muslim community.