Old Video Resurfaces as Cop Being Thrashed by BJP Leader’s Son
No, Andhra Pradesh’s sub-inspector was not thrashed by BJP leader’s son for checking his car. It’s an old video.
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CLAIM
A viral video on social media claims that Andhra Pradesh’s police sub-inspector was punished for checking the car of a BJP leader’s son. The claim, in Marathi, along with the video, reads:
‘भाजपा नेत्याची मुलाची कार तपासल्या बद्दल आंध्र प्रदेश मधील पो-उपनिरीक्षकांना ही शिक्षा केली आहे. पूर्ण वर्दी मध्ये असताना पाय धरायला लावले.जे पोलिस जनतेच रक्षण करतात त्यांच्या सोबत हे अस होत..सर्व सामान्या नागरिकांच काय होईल
हे घ्रणित क्रुत्य निषेधार्ह आहे.
जोपर्यंत मीडिया ही गोष्ट उचलून धरत नाही, तोपर्यंत कृपया या व्हिडिओचा प्रसार करा.’
(Translation: This is how the police sub-inspector of Andhra Pradesh was punished for checking the car of a BJP leader's son. They are in full uniform and are touching the feet. These are the people who protect the public. What will happen to all the ordinary citizens. Till the time media does not take up this matter, please spread this video.)
Several social media users shared the video on Facebook with an identical claim.
The Quint received a query about the claims on the same video via its WhatsApp helpline as well.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The claims made about the viral video are false. This is an old video that has now resurfaced with a different claim. The Quint had debunked this video earlier as well.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
Firstly, the man in the video is not a police sub-inspector but a forest department official. Indian Forest Service Official Dipika Bajpai had clarified the same on Twitter last year when the video first went viral.
Secondly, the viral message claims that the alleged sub-inspector was beaten for checking the car of BJP leader’s son. However, it’s not true. He was assaulted by the ‘goons’ as he had reportedly stopped them from drinking alcohol in the forest area.
As for the man supposedly being a BJP leader’s son, this claim too has proven to be false. When the police apprehended the six persons involved in the incident, one of them alleged that he was related to former Telangana Congress MLC Ranga Reddy. However, speaking to Mirror Now, Reddy dismissed these claims and insisted that strict action be taken against the culprits.
WHAT HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
A group of six men was booked by the Andhra Pradesh Police on 15 August 2018 for assaulting a forest officer on 14 August 2018 at Sunnipenta in the Nallamalla Tiger Reserve, reported The News Minute.
The accused had assaulted forest officer Jyothi Swaroop because he had stopped them for consuming alcohol in the forest. The group of six men was going to Srisailam from Hyderabad reportedly for a darshan of the presiding deity at the Mallikarjuna Temple in Srisailam, TNM mentioned in its report.
Further, as per TNM, the forest officer said, "I was on patrolling duty when I saw an SUV with six people consuming alcohol. I approached them and told them that this was a reserve forest area and they could not drink there. They immediately began threatening and intimidating me before assaulting me."
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