Video of woman's murder in Maharashtra's Vasai shared with false communal spin

(Trigger warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence and distressing visuals. Reader discretion is advised.)

What is the claim? 

A video circulating on social media platforms purportedly depicts a man standing near a deceased woman's body. The accompanying claims assert that Salim, an individual belonging to the Muslim community, murdered a woman named Aarti after she refused his marriage proposal.

The footage, which runs for 1 minute and 24 seconds, depicts a man wearing a white shirt and holding a wrench. He is seen standing next to a woman's body on a road, with bystanders present. At one point, the man grasps the woman's head, shakes her, and exclaims in Hindi, "Why did you do this?"

Screenshots of posts shared on social media (Source: Facebook/ X /Modified by Logically Facts)

Social media users on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) shared this video with captions suggesting a communal angle. An example of such captions reads: "Salim proposed to his classmate Aarti, but she refused. Subsequently, Salim killed her in public and stood calmly by her body while onlookers remained passive... Cowardly Hindus flee (translated from Hindi)." Archived versions of such posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

However, upon investigation, we determined that the video was being shared with a false communal narrative. The man in the video does not belong to the Muslim community but has been identified as Rohit Yadav.

What we found 

A reverse image search led to a Hindustan Times report published on June 19, which stated that Rohit Yadav murdered Aarti Yadav on June 18, 2024, following her rejection of his proposal. The incident occurred in the Chinchpada area of Vasai East, Maharashtra. According to the report, Rohit confronted Aarti during her commute to work and assaulted her with a heavy wrench in a public area.

Other media outlets, including India Today and Dainik Bhaskar, corroborated this information. A Times of India report noted that a non-cognizable complaint had been filed against Yadav on June 8 for allegedly damaging Aarti's mobile phone.

Logically Facts contacted Jayram Ranvare, Senior Police Inspector at Waliv Police Station in Vasai-Virar, Maharashtra, who confirmed, "Both the accused and the victim are of Hindu faith."

The FIR names the accused as Rohit Yadav. (Source: FIR copy/Accessed by Logically Facts)

Logically Facts also accessed the First Information Report (archived here) registered by the police based on a complaint by the victim’s father, Ramdular Yadav. It provides the following details:

- The incident transpired on June 18, 2024, at approximately 8:30 a.m. in Chinchpada, Vasai East.
- The accused is identified as Rohit Ramnivas Yadav.
- Both the accused and the victim were residents of Nalasopara, Maharashtra.
- Rohit has been charged under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder.

The verdict 

The video has been shared on social media with the false claim that it depicts a Muslim individual named Salim murdering Aarti Yadav in Maharashtra's Vasai area. Official police records, including the FIR, clearly identify the accused as Rohit Yadav, who is of Hindu faith.