2022 video of police brutality in Madhya Pradesh shared as 'lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh'

What is the claim?

A video depicting a police officer physically assaulting an older person at a railway station has been widely circulating on social media, purportedly as a recent incident in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In the video, the officer can be seen repeatedly kicking the man and dragging him toward the platform's edge.

The clip was shared on X on June 23, 2024, by a parody account impersonating YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, accompanied by the caption, “Uttar Pradesh is heading towards a Jungle Raaj. Just look at how the Police is beating the old Man mercilessly. Mob lynching, Bulldozer on Homes of Innocent Muslims is common in UP now.” As of publishing, the post has garnered over 56,21,000 views and 6700 reshares. Archived versions of these posts can be viewed here and here.

Screenshots of posts sharing the viral video. (Source: X/Screenshot)

However, our investigation reveals that the incident occurred at Jabalpur railway station in Madhya Pradesh in July 2022, not in Uttar Pradesh.

What did we find?

A reverse image search indicates that the video dates back to July 2022 and shows an incident at Jabalpur railway station in Madhya Pradesh. An India Today report from July 29, 2022, features a screenshot of the viral video, stating that a police constable named Anant Mishra assaulted the older person for allegedly misbehaving with him and fellow passengers while intoxicated. The constable was subsequently suspended after the incident gained attention.

A video report by the Hindustan Times (archived here), published on July 29, 2022, also features the viral clip and suggests that the incident began when the older man approached the constable to complain about someone abusing him.

Screenshot of the Hindustan Times report that features the viral video from July 2022. (Source: Hindustan Times/YouTube)

The Indian Express reported on July 30, 2022, that according to Jabalpur GRP, the incident occurred on July 27 around 3 p.m. as Constable Anant Mishra, stationed at Lour police station in Rewa, was returning from Jabalpur after submitting a case diary at the High Court. The report mentions that Gopal Prasad, identified as the older person, allegedly verbally abused the constable while intoxicated. The constable was suspended soon after the video went viral, and charges were filed against him under Sections 323, 294, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.

Logically Facts consulted Jabalpur-based journalist Siddharth Pandey, who confirmed the incident at Jabalpur railway station in July 2022. “This happened at Jabalpur railway station in July 2022. The police constable who was seen assaulting the old man was later suspended,” he said.

The verdict

A 2022 video of a police constable assaulting an older person at Jabalpur railway station in Madhya Pradesh has been shared with the false claim that it depicts a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh.