DigitEye India Fact Checkers
The rape and murder case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College has hit the headlines and witnessed massive protest rallies by the medical community across the country. In this context, a video of cricketer Virat Kohli is making the rounds in which he was seen condemning the incident and saying that he was ashamed to be in such a society.
Listen What Virat Kohli Is Telling About Dr Moumita Cas And The Society We live in #JusticeForMoumita #justice_for_pooja #justiceformoumitadebnath #MoumitaDebnath #ViratKohli #KolkataDoctor pic.twitter.com/jF3xNA9v1L
— honey🐼 (@honey16150honey) August 18, 2024
The video is being shared with a caption that reads: “Listen to what Virat Kohli is telling about Dr ……. Cas(e) and the society we live in.”
The video transcript reads: “It’s disturbing, and it’s shocking, and I am ashamed to be a part of that society. I think we need to change our thinking and we need to treat men and women in the same way. Be respectful and treat women with some compassion. Something like this happens and for people to watch it and not do anything about it, I think it’s a cowardly act. Those people have no right to call themselves men. I have only one question: If something like this happened, god forbid, to someone in your family, would you stand and watch or would you help?”
It has been shared here, here and here.
FACT CHECK
When Digiteye India received a request on its WhatsApp tipline, the team found the wording familiar. When key frames are checked in Google Reverse Image Search, a familiar video by Virat Kohli way back in 2017 surfaced. This video was posted by the cricketer after reports of New Year revellers molesting several women on Brigade Road in Bengaluru emerged.
This country should be safe & equal for all. Women shouldn’t be treated differently. Let’s stand together & put an end to such pathetic acts pic.twitter.com/bD0vOV2I2P
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 6, 2017
The original video was posted by Virat Kohli on his X account on January 6, 2017. He clearly refers to the incident saying, “What happened in Bengaluru is really really disturbing” and goes ahead with his views on molestation of women on New Year’ Eve. However, the first reference to Bengaluru was deleted and the new video was shared again in the context of Kolkata rape and murder of trainee doctor. Hence, the claim is false.
Claim: What Virat Kohli said in viral video about Kolkata Doctor’s murder case and society we live in.
Conclusion: Misrepresentation. The video was an old one by Virat Kohli condemning molestation of women at 2017 New Year Eve in Bengaluru.
Rating: Misinterpretation — 
