Mohakhali beating video is from India
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
A video circulatied on social media claiming to show a pedestrian being beaten to death at midnight in Mohakhali, Dhaka.
The video has been spread by various Facebook pages and IDs, including Bangladesh Awami Swechasebak League- Hajiganj Branch, Shipon Islam, and Md Yasin Khan (Mritunjay).
However, verification has revealed that the claim is incorrect. The circulated video is not of any incident in Bangladesh. It is actually footage of a young man being beaten for refusing to pay extortion money in the Indira Nagar police station area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
What was found in the Reverse Image Search
A reverse image search conducted to verify the video’s authenticity found a report published on 19 July on the website of the Indian news outlet “Dainik Tamsa Sanket”. That report said an incident of a youth being beaten for not paying extortion money came to light in the capital’s Indira Nagar police station area.
According to the report, the victim alleged that “eight to ten people surrounded him and attacked him with sticks, rods, and other weapons”. He was seriously injured in the attack. The assailants fled the scene, believing him to be dead.
Keyword searches found another report regarding the same incident published on Monday. It mentioned that the incident took place on 17 July. An FIR (First Information Report) has been filed at the Indira Nagar police station regarding this matter. The report added that four individuals have been identified.
Result
After verifying all information and evidence, it is confirmed that the video circulating on social media with the claim that a “pedestrian is being beaten to death in Mohakhali at midnight” is not from Mohakhali, Dhaka.
It is a video of a youth being beaten for refusing to pay extortion money in the Indira Nagar police station area of Lucknow, India, which has been circulated with a false claim.
