A video is going viral on social media (here, here, and here) showing a young girl in a school uniform being held at knifepoint by a young man, who threatens to kill her if anyone approaches. Moments later, another individual intervenes from behind, snatches the knife, and the crowd manages to separate the girl from the attacker. The public then begins beating the man. The video is being shared with the claim that onlookers killed a Muslim youth in Maharashtra after he attempted to slit a girl’s throat when she rejected his love proposal. Let’s verify the claim made in the post in this article.
Claim: The video shows a Muslim youth in Maharashtra being killed by onlookers after he attempted to slit a schoolgirl’s throat when she rejected his love proposal.
Fact: The incident took place on 21 July 2025 in Basappa Peth, Satara city, Maharashtra. The accused, Aryan Waghmale, had a one-sided love for a 14-year-old girl, and the incident was a result of this. He held the girl at knifepoint, causing panic in the area. Locals intervened, rescued the girl, and beat him, but he was not killed. Shahupuri Police Station officials confirmed that Aryan Waghmale is a Hindu, not a Muslim, and there is no communal angle to the case. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to multiple media reports featuring a screengrab of the same video (here, here, and here). According to these reports, the incident occurred on 21 July 2025 in the Basappa Peth area of Satara city, Maharashtra. A young man held a minor girl at knifepoint in broad daylight, triggering panic in the area. The situation arose from one-sided love, but thanks to the quick response of nearby residents and the Satara city police, the girl was safely rescued. The attacker was later overpowered and beaten by the crowd.
According to Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi, the accused has been identified as Aryan Waghmale. He has been booked under the POCSO Act, Arms Act, and sections related to molestation and intentional injury. Reports mention that Aryan had previously lived in the same locality and was infatuated with the girl. Despite warnings from her family, he confronted her near her residence after school. The situation escalated when he pulled out a knife, but the timely intervention of a bystander helped defuse the situation. None of the media reports or official police statements mention that the youth was killed by the onlookers. Additionally, there is no reference to any communal angle in the case.
To verify whether there was any communal angle involved, we contacted the investigating officer in the case, Assistant Police Inspector P.C. Babar of Shahupuri Police Station. She clarified that there is no communal angle to the incident, confirming that the accused is not a Muslim but a Hindu. She also stated that the victim is a 14-year-old minor and that FIR No. 201 has been registered under the POCSO Act. The investigation is currently underway.
To sum up, a video related to an incident of a youth holding a minor girl at knifepoint in Maharashtra is shared with a false communal narrative.
