Fact Check: Bhim Army activists punished by Prayagraj police for rioting? No, video is from Rajasthan

Hyderabad: On June 29, Azad Samaj Party national president and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar was detained and stopped from visiting Isauta village to meet the family of Devi Shankar, murdered on April 13. Following the detention, violence erupted in the Karchhana area of Prayagraj. The clashes allegedly involved supporters of the Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army. So far, the police have arrested 65 individuals, including several accused of inciting the unrest.

In this context, a video circulating on social media shows two men limping in police custody, with the claim that they are Chandrashekhar’s supporters involved in the violence in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The video is being shared with the suggestion that the men are limping because they were given the punishment they ‘deserved’ by the police.

Megh Updates, the X handle infamous for peddling misinformation, shared the video with the caption, “Chandrashekhar Ravan supporters who RIOTED in Prayagraj are getting the TREATMENT they truly deserve from Yogi’s UP Police.” (Archive)

BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal shared the video and wrote, “In Prayagraj, the supporters of Chandrashekhar Ravana, who incited riots, are receiving the same ‘treatment’ from Yogi Ji’s police that they deserve.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the video shows criminals of an extortion gang being apprehended in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar in June.

A reverse image of the video’s keyframes led us to the same footage shared by several social media accounts (links here, here, here and here) on June 5-6, stating that an extortion gang of four criminals were arrested in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar.

Journalist Shankar Bansari posted the video on X and Facebook on June 5, claiming that an extortion racket had been busted in Sri Ganganagar.

According to the post, Rs 5 lakh was being demanded from a businessman in the name of gangsters. Acting swiftly, the police arrested four criminals who had arrived in a luxury Fortuner vehicle. During the investigation, it was revealed that the businessman’s accountant and nephew were also involved in the conspiracy. The police recovered the extorted amount, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the remaining accused. The operation, conducted under the direction of DIG Gaurav Yadav, is being hailed as a major success for the Sri Ganganagar Police, sparking panic among the city’s criminal networks.

On June 5, the Ganganagar Police’s official X handle shared a newspaper clipping from Patrika, detailing a major extortion bust. According to the report, a businessman in Sri Ganganagar was being extorted for Rs 5 lakh through threats made in the name of gangsters. Acting on the complaint, the police laid a trap and arrested four individuals, including the businessman’s accountant and nephew. The accused arrived in a luxury car and were caught red-handed while collecting the money. Investigations revealed that the accountant had orchestrated the plan using international phone numbers. The operation, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Yadav, resulted in the recovery of the extorted amount.

Ganganagar Police, on the same day, also shared the reports of other newspapers (links here and here) reporting the incident.