A video showing a few people blackening a man’s face went viral on social media. It has been claimed that the victim is a Muslim doctor. Sharing the video a user wrote, “A Muslim doctor harassed by Hindutva goons in India. why it has become a daily routine by hindutva extremists to harrass minorities in india?”
However, upon investigation, we discovered that the claim was misleading. The incident has no communal angle. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by taking screenshots from the viral video and conducting a reverse image search. This led us to the official Facebook page of India Times where the viral video was uploaded on 5 November 2025.
The caption of the post read, “A dispute over health services in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district turned violent when Shiv Sena state vice-president Vivek Pandey smeared civil surgeon Dr S.B. The attack followed the death of a Shiv Sena worker at a district hospital, allegedly due to improper treatment. Outraged by the assault, doctors across the district suspended all services except emergencies, demanding strict action against the accused. Dr Khare, 64, said he felt humiliated and plans to seek voluntary retirement. Police have detained Vivek Pandey and two others, and an investigation is underway.”
https://www.facebook.com/reel/797662416362029
Taking this clue, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This led us to a report published on PTI News on 4 November 2025 that read, “Right-wing activists blackened the face of civil surgeon S B Khare for allegedly not improving health facilities in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district despite submitting multiple memorandums on the issue, leading police to arrest four people, an official said on Tuesday.
The incident took place on Monday when Khare was coming out of his private clinic in Sidhi city and was about to leave in his official vehicle for discharging his official duties.
A group of right-wing activists led by Vivek Pandey caught the doctor and smeared black ink on his face and other parts of the body in protest against what they claimed poor health facilities in the district, police said, citing Khare’s complaint.”
Other reports can be read here and here.
The name of the doctor has been mentioned as S B Khare. “Khare” is a Hindu surname. Moreover, no communal angle has been mentioned in the reports.
For more information, we contacted Dr S B Khare who confirmed that he is not a Muslim but a Hindu.
This makes it clear that the incident has no communal angle.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the claim is misleading. The doctor in the viral video is not a Muslim. He is Dr S. B. Khare, a civil surgeon in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. The incident has no communal angle.
Title:Hindu Men Harassed A Muslim Doctor? Here’s The Truth.
Fact Check By: Debanjana BaishyaResult: Misleading
