A CCTV video showing a woman throwing slippers and stones at a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Pune has gone viral on social media. In the footage, we can also see locals confronting the woman, smearing ink on her face and handing her over to police.
The video is being widely shared on social media with a caption claiming that a Muslim woman threw slippers at the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Pune. The posts have been shared with hashtags and comments suggesting a communal angle to the incident.
The video is shared with a caption that reads, “In Pune, a Muslim woman allegedly threw a slipper at the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Locals caught her, and another woman smeared colour on her face. Even in a crowd full of men, not a single man laid a hand on the woman. Instead, it was another woman who confronted her and gave her a fitting response—though, honestly, it still felt far too mild. This is the difference in values and conduct. Had the same situation involved a violent mob from another community, the consequences for that woman could have been far more dangerous.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The woman in the viral video is not Muslim. There is no communal angle to the incident.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by Mid Day on August 10, with a caption that reads, “A woman was caught on CCTV abusing and throwing slippers at a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sasane Nagar, Pune. Locals intervened, with some women blackening her face with ink before handing her over to the police.”
We further found that another Facebook page had shared the same video on August 12, with a caption that reads, “A woman identified as Ashwini Dagde was arrested by Pune City Police after she was allegedly caught on CCTV abusing and throwing footwear and stones at a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sasane Nagar, Hadapsar, on August 10.
According to police and local reports, the incident triggered anger among residents, who confronted the woman and subsequently handed her over to the police. Videos circulating on social media show members of the crowd applying purple ink to her face and arms before police intervention.
The Kalepadal Police Station registered a case and initiated legal proceedings against Dagde. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the alleged motive.
The incident has also sparked debate over the reaction of the crowd. While some people praised residents for intervening, others criticised the alleged public humiliation and stressed that accusations should be dealt with through due legal process rather than vigilantism.
Meanwhile, claims circulating on social media attempting to give the incident a communal angle have reportedly been found to be false. Police have confirmed that the accused woman is not Muslim.
The investigation is underway, and authorities are examining the available CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the full sequence of events.”
Taking a hint, we searched with appropriate keywords and found that the same video was also shared by a hyperlocal news channel on August 10. The caption of the video suggested that the name of the woman was Ashwini Dagde. The caption read, “Ashwini Dagde has humiliated the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Pune.... Angry women inked the face of a woman who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue...”
What did the police say?
We further contacted the Kalepadal Police Station. They denied the viral claim that the woman involved is Muslim. They suggested that Ashwini Dagde is Hindu and that there is no communal angle to the incident.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is false.
