Indian media outlets and social media platforms are abuzz with claims that lawyer Ramen Roy was brutally attacked and his house ransacked for representing Chinmoy Krishna, recently arrested in Dhaka. However, a fact-check by Fact or False has debunked these assertions.
On November 25, following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari at Dhaka Airport, his supporters staged a sit-in protest at Shahbagh. During the protest, Ramen Roy, a follower of Chinmoy, was critically injured in an attack by unidentified assailants. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he stated in media, “We were peacefully protesting when several people armed with sticks attacked us. I suffered a severe head injury and was brought here by others.”
“My brother is in a coma. No one attacked our house. These rumors are politically motivated to incite communal unrest. We do not want more violence or bloodshed.”
Despite these events, Indian media began reporting that Roy was Chinmoy Krishna’s legal representative and was targeted for defending him. Kolkata ISKCON Vice-President Radharaman Das fueled the rumors with a tweet:
“Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu“
Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court.
Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life.#SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu pic.twitter.com/uudpC10bpN
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) December 2, 2024
Das reiterated this claim in interviews with Indian outlets- “This brutal attack on advocate Roy is a direct consequence of his legal defence of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu. It reflects the growing danger faced by those who defend the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh.”
However, key sources refuted these claims. Gauranga Das, coordinator of Sanatani Jagaran Jote, clarified, “Ramen Roy is not Chinmoy Krishna’s lawyer. This is false information. No lawyer in Chattogram was attacked yesterday.”
Champa Roy, sister of Ramen Roy, confirmed he is currently in the ICU of a private hospital in Dhaka but denied any attack on their home. Champa Roy stated,“My brother is in a coma. No one attacked our house. These rumors are politically motivated to incite communal unrest. We do not want more violence or bloodshed.”
Despite the lack of confirmation from Roy’s family, Bangladeshi authorities, or Chinmoy Krishna’s organization, several prominent Indian outlets, including The Hindu, Hindustan Times, CNN-News18, Times of India, NDTV, ABP and others, published the claims based solely on Radharaman Das’s statements.