Recently, the hanging body of a Hindu woman named Priyanka Datta was recovered from a parlour washroom. Following the incident, several claims began circulating on social media alleging that Priyanka Datta was the owner of a parlour and had been facing daily extortion demands, harassment, and even rape threats from Muslims, which allegedly pushed her to her death. Some posts also attempted to portray her death as a murder with a communal angle.
A Hindutva handle named Pakistan Untold, citing another Hindutva handle Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus, wrote: “Bangladesh Hindu woman Priyanka Dutta, a Hindu parlor owner, pushed to death after daily extortion & abuse by Muslims.”
Another handle, Faraz Pervaiz, claimed: “Bangladesh #Hindu woman Priyanka Dutta, a Hindu beauty parlor owner, pushed to death after daily extortion & Rape by Muslims.”
Another post stated: “… Signs suggest it’s not suicide but a planned murder.”
Some posts making the claims can be seen here, here, here, here and here.
Fact-Check
Rumor Scanner found that the claim that Priyanka Datta was a parlour owner and she faced daily extortion, abuse, and threats by Muslims is fabricated. In reality, Priyanka Datta was not the owner of the parlour; she was working as a branch manager at a parlour owned by a Muslim woman. Moreover, CCTV footage suggests that the incident was a case of suicide.
While investigating, we came across reports and Facebook posts regarding the incident. According to these sources, “police recovered the hanging body of a 35-year-old woman, Priyanka Biswas, from the washroom of a parlour in the Panchlaish area of Chittagong. Notes were also recovered from her diary, in which she expressed feelings of despair.
The incident happened on Tuesday, September 3, around 5:30 PM at the ‘Nadia’s Makeover’ parlour near GEC Mor. Priyanka had been working there as the branch manager for a long time.
Acting Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Panchlaish Police Station, Md. Solaiman, stated that, preliminarily, the incident is being treated as a case of suicide.”
Priyanka Datta was working as the branch manager (receptionist) at ‘Nadiya’s Makeover’, owned by a Muslim woman, Nadia Afroz. This confirms that the claim that Priyanka Datta (or Priyanka Biswas) was the owner of the parlour is false, indicating that the allegations of her facing daily extortion or harassment from Muslims are entirely fabricated.
CCTV footage from the day of the incident, which was broadcast live on the parlour’s official Facebook page, has been reviewed. According to the owner, Nadia Afroz, the footage was handed over to the police and shown to the deceased’s family before the live broadcast.
The CCTV footage shows Priyanka’s movements and activities from the time she entered the parlour that morning until she went to the washroom, as well as the police arriving and recovering her body by cutting open the door.
The CCTV footage shows Priyanka Datta arriving at the parlour at 10:23 AM and going straight to the reception desk where she worked. She was seen performing some basic tasks there after checking in.
From 10:23 AM until 3:58 PM, when she went to the washroom, the footage shows Priyanka mostly on her phone. She is seen making video calls, chatting, and at several points writing in her diary. At 3:54 PM, she approached the washroom door, stood there hesitating for a while, then returned to her desk and wrote in her diary for the final time.
At one point, she was seen declining a call. She also appeared visibly sad and distressed at times. From the notes she wrote in her diary, it was clear that she was experiencing depression. On one page, she wrote: “Depression is a really bad thing.”
When Priyanka Datta entered the bathroom at 3:58 PM, there was no one at the reception. She remained away from the reception desk for an extended period, and when she did not return, her coworkers tried knocking on the door but received no response. After repeated attempts failed, they called the building’s security staff. The security personnel arrived but were unable to open the door, as it was locked from the inside.
Her family arrived after 6:15 PM, and the police reached the scene a few minutes later. After taking statements and collecting evidence, including her diary, the police tried to open the door but failed. They eventually had to cut it open and found Priyanka Datta hanging. Her body was then taken out. CCTV footage and a mobile video show the entire sequence, from breaking the door to recovering her body.
Based on the CCTV footage, the video, and her diary, the case clearly appears to be a suicide due to depression. The deceased’s family also has not made any claims of murder or supported the narratives being circulated on social media.
Therefore, the claim that Priyanka Datta was the owner of the parlour and faced daily extortion and threats from Muslims is false. The incident is apparently a case of suicide.
Sources
- Rumor Scanner Investigation
- CCTV footage
- Media reports
