Fact Check: Yes, Bank of Baroda guard shot man in Bareilly; No, he did not die
A video of a bleeding man lying on the floor of a bank has gone viral on social media with the claim that he was shot for not wearing a mask. He reportedly died on the spot.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 29 Jun 2021 10:55 AM IST
Hyderabad: A video of a bleeding man lying on the floor of a bank has gone viral on social media with the claim that he was shot for not wearing a mask. He reportedly died on the spot.
According to one tweet, "A Bank of Baroda guard shot a young man in Bareilly for not wearing a mask. An innocent murdered, put to death. Strict action should be taken against the guard." (archive)
Another Twitter user wrote, "Death penalty for the crime?" (archive)
Fact Check
The claim is misleading as the man was not shot dead.
NewsMeter found reports that said a man was injured after a security guard at a Bank of Baroda branch fired at him for allegedly trying to force his way inside without wearing a mask in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly. The guard was detained by the police while the injured man was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. However, none of the news reports mention that the victim died.
The superintendent of police (city), Ravindra Kumar, said the incident took place "when a man named Rajesh had come to Bank of Baroda located at station road where he entered into an altercation with the security guard after which the guard shot him. We have taken the guard into police custody and injured has been admitted to hospital. The real reason behind the altercation is yet to be ascertained".
(Source: Hindustan Times, News18)
The Bareilly police, in a tweet, had said that Rajesh was shot in the thigh by Keshav, a security guard posted in a Bank of Baroda branch under the Kotwali police station limits in Bareilly. It further said Rajesh is undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Bank of Baroda had also tweeted about the incident and said Rajesh was immediately admitted to the district hospital and is now out of danger.
The claim that a man was shot dead by a Bank of Baroda security guard in Bareilly for not wearing a mask is misleading. While the man was shot, he was only injured and did not die.
