A woman identifying herself as Divya Rana, a ‘Deputy Manager’ at The Times of India, unleashed a shocking tirade of threats and sexually violent abuse against OpIndia Assistant Editor Dibakar Dutta and his 70-year-old mother. The cause? A Facebook post he shared highlighting the death of a four-year-old girl from rabies.
The Post That Triggered the Fury
On 21 August 2025, Dibakar Dutta of OpIndia shared a post by commentator ‘The Skin Doctor’ about the death of a four-year-old, the daughter of a street vendor, in Bengaluru. The child had succumbed to rabies on 17 August 2025 after being mauled by stray dogs four months prior. The story had been reported by multiple major publications, including The Times of India itself.
Dutta’s caption read: “We failed you, little girl. ‘Dog activists’, campaigning to keep stray dogs on the street, will not squeak a word about it.”
This criticism of so-called “dog activists” was the spark that ignited the confrontation.
The Descent from ‘Journalist’ to Abuser
Divya Rana, whose Facebook profile identifies her as a Deputy Manager at The Times of India, descended into the comments.
She immediately adopted an authoritative tone, declaring the news “incorrect” and warning Dutta he would be “penalised by law for sharing unverified information.”
When Dutta challenged her and asked for proof, she responded with a poorly fabricated ‘seize and desist notice,’ seemingly generated by ChatGPT, directly in the comment thread. When Dutta repeatedly insisted she send this notice to his official email address for legal processing, her professional facade crumbled completely.
After threats of arrest and claims that a warrant had been “issued to Indian Express” failed to intimidate him, Rana resorted to pure vitriol.
The Graphic Threats and Abuse
The abuse, specifically targeted at Dutta’s mother, was exceptionally graphic and threatening. Screenshots of the exchange show Rana writing:
“Dibakar Dutta, is your mother a r*ndi who comes to quell your sexual thirst?”
“What is the rate of your mother?”
She referred to Dutta as the “son of a hij*a and randi.”
She vowed, “I will get your underwear removed and parade you naked.”
She claimed, “Harsh Verma is my father who is a judge. I will get your underwear removed and parade you naked.”
She added, “See, your mother is parading naked on the streets. Maderch*d, keep barking now.”
The abuse continued with personal attacks on Dutta’s appearance, calling him a “disgusting worm from the drain.”
Times Of India Denies Association
Dutta had tagged Times of India’s X handle and on 22 August 2025 afternoon, denied any association with Divya Rana. They replied saying, “@dibakardutta_ The person mentioned in your tweet is not employed with The Times of India. This appears to be a fake account impersonating a TOI staffer. Our legal team has taken note and will initiate appropriate action.”
@dibakardutta_ The person mentioned in your tweet is not employed with The Times of India. This appears to be a fake account impersonating a TOI staffer. Our legal team has taken note and will initiate appropriate action.
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) August 22, 2025
The Core Issue: Power, Influence, and a Child’s Death
The incident transcends a mere online flame war. Rana’s threats explicitly invoked her alleged professional power at a major media house and, more seriously, the judicial power of her alleged father to “destroy” a critic.
Dutta’s central question remains: Why would someone claiming to be a senior journalist at a national newspaper react with such unhinged fury to a post mourning a child killed by rabies? The exchange suggests the post hit a nerve with Rana, placing her in the very category of activists Dutta criticized, those who passionately defend stray dogs but are perceived by some to remain silent on the human cost of attacks.
(With inputs from OpIndia & Dibakar Dutta’s X thread)
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