Fact Check: Nepal protesters loot bank, scatter cash? No, video shows vandalism at Energy Minister’s house
Amid the ongoing protests in Nepal, a video is going viral claiming to show youth looting a bank and scattering cash.
By - K Sherly Sharon
Claim:The video shows Nepal’s ‘Gen Z’ protesters looting a bank and scattering cash into the air.
Fact:The claim is false. The video shows Nepal Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s residence in Budhanilkantha being looted and money found in his house being scattered.
Hyderabad: Nepal is facing a severe political crisis as ‘Gen Z’ protesters have flooded the streets in anger over a social media ban and persistent corruption. At least 34 people have reportedly been killed and over 1300 are receiving treatment at various hospitals. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned after demonstrators stormed Parliament and set it ablaze.
In this context, a video is going viral on social media with the claim that it shows a bank being looted in Nepal. The video shows people picking up and waving currency notes that have been scattered into the air.
Some people in the video are happy collecting the pieces of paper falling from the sky, hinting that they are of considerable value.
The video was shared on X with the caption, “Banks are being looted in Nepal. If you still think student protesters are behind this, then I have a beautiful white building in Agra to sell you.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the viral claim is false. The video shows Nepal Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s residence in Budhanilkantha being looted and money found in his house being scattered.
We ran keyword searches to find news reports or social media posts sharing the viral video, saying it shows a bank in Nepal being looted amid the ongoing protests. But we couldn’t find any.
We also couldn’t find any signboards of banks in the viral video, hinting that the money may not have come from a bank.
What are news reports saying about the video?
Using reverse image search of the video’s keyframes, we found it was shared on Facebook by The Times of India on September 10. The caption stated, “Protesters torch Energy Minister’s house, storm President’s residence as looted banknotes rain down in the streets in #Nepal”.
The same video was shared on the YouTube channels of Business Today and APN News India. These posts also stated that the video shows protesters vandalising and setting fire to Nepal Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s residence.
The Business Today reel was shared on September 9 with the title ‘Nepal Protest Turns Chaotic | Cash Stolen From Energy Minister’s House Thrown In Air.’
The APN News India reel was shared with the caption ‘Nepal Gen-Z Protest: Protesters set fire to the residence of Energy Minister Deepak Khadka,’ also shared on September 9.
Nepal news outlets such as Khabarhub, Ratopati and Hamrakura have published reports on the looting of the Nepal Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s residence.
What is social media saying about the vandalism on Energy Minister’s house?
A social media post sharing the viral video with a similar statement can be seen here.
A keyword search led us to an Instagram post shared by ‘24ghantanepal’ on September 9. The video showed visuals from the viral video from a different angle. We can see protesters setting fire to a building, scattered cash flying in the air and smoke rising in the background.
The post caption stated that protesters had vandalised and set fire to Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s residence in Budhanilkantha. “They broke through security barriers, scaled the compound wall, and torched parts of the house. Thick smoke rose as demonstrators chanted slogans against the government,” the caption read.
The post further stated, “Reports indicate protesters found large sums of money inside the home, which were scattered into the air.”
Has looting occurred during the unrest in Nepal?
There have been reports of banks being looted during the ongoing unrest in Nepal.
Khabarhub published a report on September 9 stating that employees at the Baneshwor branch of Rastriya Banijya Bank reported a robbery.
As per a News18 report, dated September 10, the Nepali Army said it had arrested 26 people accused of looting and vandalism during the ongoing youth-led protests. Five individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the looting of the bank in Baneshwar.
The video does not show a bank being looted in Nepal during the ongoing ‘Gen Z’ protest in the country. It shows Nepal Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s residence being looted and money found in the house being scattered.
Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the claim is false.
