Video Of Man Severely Being Beaten Shared With Claim Of Hindu Youth Beaten By Muslims For Protesting Against His Sister's Molestation

A video showing a youth being beaten up has gone viral across social media. The video is being shared from a communal angle with allegations of assault levied against a police from a particular community. The video is being shared in the context of increasing misinformation against minority communities on social media. The video is among the series of videos going viral in Uttar Pradesh claiming violence by Muslims against Hindus.

Claim:

The viral video, with a duration of 31 seconds, is quite disturbing so viewer discretion is advised. In the viral video, a man who has been beaten up severely is paraded through the streets. A police officer can be seen holding the man and dragging him forward as other men rain blows on the victim. A mob gathers and the man is obscured from view seemingly being beaten severely.

It is being claimed that Muslims beat up Pushpendra after he protested witnessing his sister being molested in Rampur's Bird Sanctuary. It is also claimed that the inspector who excessively beat up Pushpendra is walking around unpunished.

The caption of the video reads in Hindi, "पुष्पेंद्र कुमार* जो की SDM सदर रामपुर में कार्यरत है। कल दिनांक 13 मई 2022 को पक्षी विहार (झील) में.. अपनी माँ बहनो के साथ.. घूमने गया था। वहां 2-3 मुस्लिम लड़के इसकी बहन को छेड़ने लगे, पुष्पेंद्र के विरोध करने पर.. उन लड़कों ने पुष्पेंद्र को मारना शुरू कर दिया, ज्यादा हो हंगामा होने पर.. पुष्पेंद्र के फोन करने पर.. मौक़े पर SI लईक़ खान.. अपनी टीम के साथ पहुँचे। और खुद मुस्लिम होने के नाते.. वहां उल्टे.. मुस्लिमों का साथ देते हुए.. उस बेचारे अकेले पुष्पेंद्र को.. बुरी तरह मारना शुरू कर दिया। ये है खुंदस.. भाजपा सरकार से | मुस्लिमों और पुलिस में तैनात.. लयीक़ खान जैसे अफ़सरों की सोच को दर्शाती थी। आप सभी से हाथ जोड़ कर निवेदन है कृपया अपना फ़र्ज़ निभाते हुए इस वीडियो को योगी जी तक पहुँचाये। ये भी पता चला है कि वहां के इंस्पेक्टर लयीक़ खान और उनके साथियों पर.. अभी तक प्रशासन ने कोई कार्यवाही नहीं करि है."

[Rough Translation: This is Pushpendra Kumar who is working in SDM Sadar Rampur. Yesterday, on 13th May 2022, he went to the bird sanctuary (lake) with his mother and sisters for a walk. There 2-3 Muslim boys started teasing his sister, to which Pushpendra protested. These boys started hitting Pushpendra. This led to a lot of commotion due to which SI Laik Khan reached the spot with his team. And as the police was a Muslim himself, instead of supporting Pushpendra, on the contrary he started beating that poor lonely Pushpendra. Till now the administration has not taken any action against Laik Khan and his associates. All of you are requested with folded hands, please do your duty and report this video to Yogi ji.]

[Trigger Warning: The Logical Indian has not embedded the video due to its graphic nature and strong language. Click here to watch the video]

A Twitter user wrote, "मुस्लिमों का साथ देते हुए उस बेचारे अकेले पुष्पेंद्र को मारना शुरू कर दिया। ये खुंदस भाजपा सरकार से मुस्लिमों और पुलिस में तैनात लयीक़ खान जैसे अफ़सरों की सोच को दर्शाती थी। आप सब से हाथ जोड़ कर निवेदन है कृपया अपना फ़र्ज़ निभाते हुए इसको योगी जी तक पहुँचाये। घटना रामपुर की है."

[English Translation: Supporting the Muslims, he started beating the poor man alone. This anger reflects the thinking of the Muslims against the BJP government and the officers like Laik Khan posted in the police. All of you are requested with folded hands, please fulfil your duty and report it to Yogi ji. The incident is from Rampur.]

It is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian fact check team verified the viral claim and found it to be false. No communal angle was involved in this case.

During the initial investigation, we conducted a keyword search with the relevant keywords such as "Rampur Bird Sanctuary Molestation". We came across a report by Jagran published on 15 May 2022. The report detailed how an incident of molestation took place in Rampur's Kasturba Gandhi Bird Sanctuary. As per the report, on the night of May 13 Pushpendra friend's sister was allegedly molested. Pushpendra, the tehsil worker, reached there on the request of his friend. As per the police, he was accused of molestation by the harassers' female friends and was thus assaulted by the mob that had gathered.

We came across a report by Dainik Bhaskar which mentions SI Laik Ahmed being suspended for brutally thrashing a tehsil worker, following the incident. As per the Dainik Bhaskar report, the Rampur police stated that on May 13, Pushpendra Kumar who was present at the Kasturba Gandhi Bird Sanctuary Lake was assaulted in the presence of Sub Inspector Laik Ahmed.

Following this, we conducted a keyword search across Twitter and came across this tweet by the official Twitter handle of Rampur Police. The caption of the post read: "Video byte #UPPolice given by the Superintendent of Police, Rampur regarding the incident in Bird Sanctuary"

As per the statement, on the night of May 13, Nadeem was out in Kasturba Gandhi Bird Sanctuary with his sister at around 10 PM. He alleged that a youth had molested his sister. The youth who had molested was accompanied by two women. In the statement, the police asserted that following the altercation between Nadeem and the youth who had molested his sister, Nadeem called Pushpendra to the bird sanctuary. Pushpendra was accompanied by a few of his friends. The police arrived on the scene as the altercation grew and the women phoned the helpline. The SP states that Pushpendra was in a state of severe inebriation and started arguing with the policemen and tore the shirt of a policeman. This provoked extreme action from the police which led to Sub Inspector Laik Ahmed taking excessive physical assault against Pushpendra which was not required. This has led to the suspension of the Sub Inspector. The Superintendent asserts that an investigation is underway and that action would be taken".

The Logical Indian Fact Team contacted the Additional Superintendent of Rampur, Sansar Singh. He asserted the same sequence of events as recounted by the SP. He also added that there was no communal angle in the viral video.

Pushpenda statement:

Meanwhile, Pushpendra has asserted that he reached the spot after he was called there by Nadeem. The Logical Indian Fact Check team had reached out to him as well and learnt that he works as a Computer Operator in the Land Accounts Department and is presently on deputation of operator in Voter Registration Center located in Tehsil Sadar premises itself.

He was sitting in the tehsil premises on 13th May at night along with his brother Gaurav, son Tejpal Singh and his friends Faizan and Shahab when a call came from Nadeem, son of Naeem, an employee of the tehsil, informing him of some criminal elements in the bird sanctuary. These men were molesting Nadeem's sisters.

Just as Pushpendra and his friends reached the spot and intervened in the situation, the Sub Inspector, Laik Ahmed showed up. As per Pushpendra, the SI had cursed him and threatened him with a pistol. He alleged that Ahmed beat him mercilessly and then forced him to drink a sedative while he was being transported in the police van.

In the conversation, Pushpendra highlighted that there is no communal angle to the incident as Nadeem and his sisters belong to the Muslim community. He shared with us that he had requested the Chief Minister of UP for the arrest of the Sub Inspector. He also shared with us reports from local newspapers which went into detail about the investigation.

Conclusion:

The video is shared with the claim that Muslims beat up Pushpendra after he protested witnessing his sister being molested in Rampur's Bird Sanctuary. It is also claimed that the inspector that excessively beat up Pushpendra is walking around unpunished.

In actuality, the matter at hand is quite complex with different statements being given by the police and the victims of the situation. In our conversations with Pushpendra Singh and the Additional SP of Rampur, Sansar Singh, they asserted that there is no communal angle to the matter at hand. Both the party belong to the Muslim community. Also, the molestation took place with the sisters of Pushpendra's friend Nadeem. The SI who had beaten up the victim and has been suspended, contrary to the claims made in the caption of the viral video. Hence, the viral claim is false.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also Read: Did Maharashtra's MVA Govt Decorate Bus With Pakistan's Flag To Appease Muslims? No, Viral Claim Is False!