Vijaita Singh, who serves as the deputy editor of The Hindu, has found herself in a self-created cycle of fact-checking after asserting that a 32-year-old woman named Nutan endured gunshot wounds during the 20th of July demonstration led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). On 29th July (Wednesday), the Delhi Police rubbished the charge by emphasising that the findings of the Medico-Legal Certificate (MLC) do not substantiate the same and identified it as “a lacerated wound in front of the right tragus, with the nature of injury described as blunt.”
The authorities further noted that the doctor referred to it as “simple injury and there is no evidence of gunshot injury. Afterwards, they urged, “The public is advised to verify information through authentic sources before sharing such claims.” A senior official mentioned, “An MLC is a medico-legal certificate prepared by doctors and provided to the police, forming the basis for further legal action in a criminal case.”
FACT CHECK
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) July 29, 2026
Claims circulating on social media that a protester sustained gunshot injuries during the July 20, 2026 protest in Central Delhi are not corroborated by the MLC findings.
MLC records a lacerated wound in front of the right tragus, with the nature of injury described…
Singh, however, promptly rejected the counter and shared the protestor’s cropped discharge report from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital, which included terms such as “gunshot” and “gunshot wounds” to support her allegation.
Notably, the summary of the case, which is a medical narrative told by the patient and documented by the doctor, was intentionally portrayed as factual, even though it cannot be deemed definitive or conclusive until a comprehensive examination is performed.
The “trauma to right ear” and “gunshot” listed in the diagnosis section are similarly accompanied by a question mark, indicating that they could be potential possibilities but require analysis for validation. Predictably, the truth inevitably came to light and exposed “the journalist.”
Accha, what is this then? https://t.co/o1kADatXve pic.twitter.com/GG9vI8FjvA
— Vijaita Singh (@vijaita) July 29, 2026
A few hours later, Singh had to verify her own misleading arguments after it was confirmed that the wound was indeed caused by a “blunt object” and not otherwise, but instead of removing her earlier fabrication, she shamelessly decided to quote it. She was compelled to accept that the statements regarding the gunshot wound were “history as alleged by the victim. The latest opinion, received today, has concluded that it was an injury by a blunt object.”
A Delhi Police official said that the “gunshot injury” mentioned in the MLC report is history as alleged by the victim. The latest opinion, received today, has concluded that it was an injury by a “blunt object.”
— Vijaita Singh (@vijaita) July 29, 2026
This is what Nutan had told The Hindu:
Recounting the incident,… https://t.co/oHRTmrl1pp
Singh then tried to indirectly double down on her false claim and “recounted” Nutan’s account, who told The Hindu that she was standing with others in the park’s upper area away from the main protest location close to Jantar Mantar.
She then quoted the complainant, who insisted, “I can describe the spot; there is a fountain and a steel statue of a lion. I was standing right next to that, up in the higher part of the park. I was fired at from below. I can’t say for certain if I was the specific target, but the gun was aimed in our direction.”
“Seeing that, we all got scared and started running. There were quite a few of us up there, so we were all fleeing together when the shot was fired, and it grazed right past my ear,” she conveyed.
Delhi Police’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ranjeev Ranjan, also highlighted that the lesion was caused by a “blunt weapon” and not any firearm. Insiders unveiled that Nutan went to a private facility in Gurugram after leaving the hospital, and another medical document was issued there, but the accusations have already been proven unfounded by the medical assessment.
Left-liberal lobby, opposition ecosystem amplifies the lie
The left liberal lobby, as expected, quickly took advantage of the golden opportunity to launch an attack on the police without verifying the validity of the charges. The All-India Students Association (AISA), which is connected to the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, hailed Singh as a crusader for truth and scoffed, “Delhi Police thought how anyone would even know (about the purported use of guns on agitators).”
"Inko Kya Hi Pata Chalega"
— AISA (@aisa_official_) July 29, 2026
Thanks to @vijaita (Deputy Editor, The Hindu) for exposing them. https://t.co/3UU9odsQkP pic.twitter.com/PVKvOqOX98
Indian National Congress secretary Pranav Jha wrote that the greatest concern of everyone involved with the government, from top to bottom or an individual to an institution, is only their reputation instead of people. He alleged, “They go to great lengths to protect their image, ensuring that no stain tarnishes it,” even if it means telling several lies.
Jha argued that this behaviour was not coincidental but morally sanctioned by those at the highest level and is a reflection of their political ideology. “When the top leadership prioritises propaganda over accountability and image management over truth, that same culture permeates the entire system. Unfortunately, this has been the decades-old history and working style of their politics: propaganda over truth, image over accountability and concern for power over public welfare,” Jha added.
Ironically, the Congressman was distributing faulty details while denouncing the BJP for deceiving people.
इस सरकार में ऊपर से लेकर नीचे तक—चाहे कोई व्यक्ति हो या कोई संस्था—उनकी सबसे बड़ी चिंता लोगों की नहीं बल्कि अपनी छवि बचाने की है। उनकी कोशिश रहती है कि किसी भी कीमत पर उनकी इमेज पर आंच न आए। इसके लिए यदि एक झूठ से काम न चले, तो सौ झूठ बोलने में भी उन्हें कोई संकोच नहीं होता।
— pranav jha (@pranavINC) July 29, 2026
यह… https://t.co/fMJusUxHZV
Another “journalist”, Tamal Saha, advised Singh to “move forward as they are with her.” Was he implying that she should persist in promoting such dubious claims with their backing? He did not take the time to clarify, just as he failed to ascertain the accuracy of the accusations.
Ohh my my. @vijaita tum age baro, hum tumhare saath hai https://t.co/R9M7BUtFYY
— Tamal Saha (@Tamal0401) July 29, 2026
A user expressed pride in the doctors who presented the report to Singh. He declared the police culpable for employing pellet guns and inflicting gunshot wounds on the protesters.
I'm proud of Doctors who are sharing these photographs of case sheets to Journalists.
— Dr Ranjan (@DocRGM_) July 29, 2026
Delhi Police Cover-Up of Pellet Shot Injuries and now Gunshot Injuries to Student Protesters has been EXPOSED !!! https://t.co/gjfWTiGnKr
A member of this cabal expressed gratitude to Singh and made a comparison with revered British journalist Mark Tully in relation to his historical coverage of “Operation Blue Star.”
Thank you @vijaita for recording this, just like what Sir Mark Tully did in Operation bluestar. https://t.co/K5XgTwkG6q
— Balaji (@sbalaji1) July 29, 2026
The propaganda website “The Wire” also jumped on the bandwagon as it utilised The Hindu article and the contorted hospital report to assert that the woman suffered a “gunshot injury” because “security forces shot at her.”
What did the woman claim
On 27th July, The Hindu published a report by Ashok Kumar on the claims of Nutan, a native of Ranchi and has been employed at a private company in Gurugram’s Millennium City. She has returned to her hometown and held a telephonic conversation with the media house.
She stated that a bullet skimmed by her ear and added, “At that very moment, I realised I had sustained a very serious injury to my ear; I had stopped hearing.” The woman stressed, “When I checked with my hand, I saw heavy bleeding. My hand was covered in blood. I quickly covered the wound with a handkerchief and rushed to the hospital,” and was transported to RML Hospital for a two-hour surgery.
“I was hit on the right side. The gun was pointed directly at us; that’s how I knew the injuries were caused by a gunshot. I didn’t really know much about rubber bullet guns or pellets, but two people had their guns aimed right at us. They were wearing blue uniforms. The person involved wasn’t wearing a name plate,” she contended.
Nutan mentioned that she was asked to leave and released within 15 minutes after the procedure, remarking, “While there, I saw four or five police personnel come in. They didn’t have any real injuries, maybe just a slight scratch on a leg or hand, yet they were lying on stretchers, unbuttoning their shirts.”
Nutan alleged that she had to travel from Gurugram to RML Hospital to change the dressing over the course of two days, but she encountered “roadblocks” and “harassment.” She insisted, “I have stitches all over my ear now. My health has deteriorated significantly since that day.”
Conclusion
Singh, similar to her colleagues in mainstream media, has resorted to disseminating disinformation, only to be busted later. In fact, she has even allied with individuals such as Arfa Khanum Sherwani to justify assaults on journalists if they do not align with their ideological beliefs. These issues represent yet another instance of the decay within the liberal media, which otherwise professes to be the bearers of truth and advocates for freedom of expression.
The entire ecosystem is solely focused on advancing their own narrative to malign the government and even the nation, rather than seeking the truth. The excesses committed against the protesters, as well as the targeting of police during the recent agitation, are already under judicial consideration. The truth must be revealed, and the perpetrators must face punishment, but there should be no room for propaganda in the process.
