2023 video of Korean vlogger being harassed in India shared as recent

(Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.)

Context

On March 1, 2024, a Spanish female tourist was reportedly gang-raped near Dumka in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. According to a report by the Financial Express dated March 6, 2024, the incident occurred when a Spanish tourist couple stopped at Kurmahat for an overnight stay in a tent during a biking trip across several Indian states. The report also noted that authorities have arrested all eight accused individuals.

What is the claim?

Amid this situation, a video showing a woman being mistreated by a man has been circulating on social media platforms. This video claims to depict a new incident following the Dumka case, in which a Korean vlogger was harassed.

One such post (archived here) on X (formerly Twitter), which shared the video, stated: "Not even 24 hours after the gang rape incident involving a foreign woman in Jharkhand, here is Korean blogger Kelly, visiting India. Such behavior is shocking. Similar indecency has occurred before with a foreign female blogger in Rajasthan. Strict action must be taken against such offenders (translated to English)."

At the time of writing this article, the post had received over 82,000 views. Archived versions of similar posts can be accessed here and here.

Screenshot of the viral post. (Source: X/ Screenshot)

However, the claim in the viral post is misleading, as the harassment incident involving a South Korean female blogger occurred in Pune, Maharashtra, in December 2023, before the Jharkhand case.

How did we find the truth?

A Google search using related keywords revealed multiple news reports from December 2023, indicating that the incident occurred in November 2023 in Pune, Maharashtra.

Screenshot of the NDTV report on this incident. (Source: NDTV/ Screenshot)

An NDTV report dated December 20, 2023, detailed that the incident involving the South Korean vlogger occurred in the Ravet area of Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, in November 2023. After the video went viral, police arrested the individual seen in the video wrapping his hands around the vlogger’s neck and behaving inappropriately, causing her distress. The police filed an FIR under IPC (Indian Penal Code) Section 354, which deals with assault or criminal force to outrage a woman's modesty, and Section 294, which penalizes individuals for obscene acts.

An India Today report from December 20, 2023, identified the accused as Bharat Unchale, from Bidar, Karnataka.

In the viral video, the victim is seen vlogging, drinking coconut water, and interacting with local shopkeepers. Subsequently, two men appear in the video; one of them places his hand around the victim's neck and holds her against her will, clearly causing her discomfort. Later in the video, she is seen rushing from the scene, stating, “I have to run away.” The victim shared the video on her YouTube channel on December 12, 2023.

Screenshot of the video shared on the Korean blogger's YouTube channel. (Source: YouTube/Screenshot)

The verdict

The claim circulating on social media that the misconduct against a Korean vlogger occurred after the gang rape of a Spanish tourist in Jharkhand is misleading. The incident in question occurred in Pune, Maharashtra, in November 2023, and the perpetrator was arrested.

(Translated by Azra Ali)