Video of Man Violating Lockdown in Dehradun Given Communal Spin

A viral video of a man violating lockdown protocol in Dehradun was shared with a false communal angle.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

CLAIM

A viral video on social media claims to show that the man being beaten in the video was sitting in a mosque and after coming out, he started spitting outside people’s homes.

The claim further mentions that the video is from Dehradun’s Bhagat Singh Colony.

The claim reads: “देहरादून ,भगत सिंह कॉलोनी में छह करोना पॉजीटीव पाए गए।कॉलोनी सील कर दी गई। वीडियो में पीट रहा बंदा मस्जिद में बैठा था और निकल कर घरों के हैंडल के ऊपर थूक रहा था” (Translated: Dehradun’s Bhagat Singh Colony has witnessed six positive coronavirus cases. The colony has been sealed. The man being beaten in the video was sitting inside a mosque and after coming out, he started spitting on handles of people’s homes.)

You can view the archived version here.(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Screengrab)

You can view the archived version here.(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Screengrab)

You can view the archived version here.(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Screengrab)

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TRUE OR FALSE?

The claim shared along with the video is false. Firstly, the video is not from Dehradun’s Bhagat Singh Colony but from Clement Town area in Dehradun.

Secondly, Narottam, station officer at Clement Town police station told The Quint that the incident happened on 24 March, when a man was violating lockdown rules and was roaming on the road. However, the officer denied any communal angle to the incident.

Third, FIRs have been registered against the person seen in the viral video, for violating lockdown protocols, as well as against the one who circulated the video with a false claim.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

Since the claim shared along with the video mentioned that it is from Dehradun’s Bhagat Singh Colony, we got in touch with the city’s Raipur police station as the concerned locality comes under its jurisdiction.

On seeing the video, the station officer in the Raipur police station told The Quint that it is not from the aforementioned area and that an FIR was registered against the person who circulated this video on social media and propagated false information.

“While it’s true that Bhagat Singh colony is indeed sealed due to the number of COVID-19 cases, no such incident happened in the area. An FIR was registered on 14 April under sections 188, 505 of the IPC against the person who shared the video with the false claim,” the police officer said.

We then got in touch with Shweta Chaubey, SP City, Dehradun, who said that the incident is from Dehradun’s Clement Town area and not from Bhagat Singh colony.

Speaking to The Quint, she said, “The video is from Clement Town area and dates back to somewhere around 24 March, when a person was seen violating lockdown rules. We have also booked the man who was circulating false information on social media.”

Further, Narottam, station officer at Clement Town police station, corroborated with the above details and said that the incident took place on 24 March. He said that the man seen in the video was booked under sections 188 of IPC and section 51 of the Disaster Management Act.

“The man in the video was violating lockdown protocol by roaming on the road and not cooperating with the police officers. The claims on social media, giving it a communal colour, are absolutely false and he was not spitting outside people’s houses. In fact, there is no mosque also near the locality,” the officer said.

Evidently, the video of a man violating lockdown protocol in Dehradun’s Clement Town area was shared with a communal angle on social media.

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