Video of family feud in Rajasthan's Alwar shared with false communal angle

What's the claim?

A video clip lasting 2 minutes and 20 seconds, which has been shared widely on social media, depicts a group of individuals attacking unarmed people in what appears to be a residential area. A user on X (formerly known as Twitter) circulated the video (with an archived version available here) alongside a claim stating, "In Alwar, Muslims invaded the homes of Hindus and attacked them with sticks (translated from Hindi)." The post has amassed over 22,000 views to date.

Archived versions of similar posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

A screenshot of the viral posts circulating online. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, this claim is unfounded. The footage captures a conflict between two factions within the same family, disputing over an ancestral property. There is no communal angle to the incident. 

What are the facts?

Conducting a reverse image search of the clip led us to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, dated January 19, 2024, featuring visuals similar to those in the viral clip. This report details an altercation in which relatives assaulted a 70-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman over a longstanding dispute concerning a family house in Cheema ki Dhani, within the jurisdiction of the Thanagaji police station in Alwar.

Screenshot of a report published by Dainik Bhaskar. (Source: Dainik Bhaskar/Screenshot)

The report includes a statement from Ramswaroop, a 70-year-old family member, who indicated that Badami Devi, his younger brother's wife, her son, and her grandson had previously threatened to seize the family home. It further mentions that on January 18, approximately 18 members of Badami Devi's side of the family, including names such as Jitendra, Satish, Yogesh alias Sugla, and others, launched an attack on Ramswaroop's family, employing batons.

Approximately eight family members sustained injuries in the altercation. Victims such as Ramswaroop, Rohitash, and several others were treated at the Community Health Center in Thanagaji, with four being transferred to a hospital in Jaipur for more severe injuries.

Investigation revealed that both the victims and the accused belong to the Hindu community, with no Muslim individuals involved. Further coverage by local media outlets, Hindustan and Rajasthan Patrika, corroborated these details without suggesting any communal angle.

Logically Facts also reviewed the First Information Report (FIR), which clearly states the altercation stemmed from a property dispute, with names matching those reported by the media.

Upon contacting the officer in charge at the Thanagaji police station in Alwar, Rajesh Kumar Meena, it was confirmed that the viral clip originated from the Cheema ki Dhani area and depicted a familial dispute over property. He clarified that those involved in the altercation, such as Satish Sharma and Jitendra Sharma, are Hindu and belong to the Brahmin caste, debunking any claims of Muslim involvement.

Moreover, a post by Alwar Police on X, dated January 27, 2024, explicitly refutes the misleading claim and denies any communal aspect to the incident.

The verdict

The widely shared clip, purporting to show Muslims attacking Hindus in Alwar, Rajasthan, actually documents a familial dispute over property. Consequently, the claim is deemed inaccurate, and we have marked it as false.  

(Translated by: Ankita Kulkarni)