CCTV video of unrelated incident shared as Haryana BJP MLA thrashed

A CCTV footage that shows some people enter an office and brutally beat up a person has been shared with the claim that a BJP MLA in Haryana was thrashed. On Facebook, a page named ‘Sukhdev Singh Chak’ posted this video on August 3, drawing over 1,000 shares as of this writing.

A user named Mehul Kumar NSUI also shared this video and wrote, “Watch this video of Haryana BJP MLA thrashed. People have recognised these thieves. (हरियाणा के BJP विधायक की धुलाई का यह वीडियो देखें। पब्लिक इन चोरो को जान गई है।)

Alt News has received verification requests for the video on its official mobile application.

Fact-check

A reverse image search of one of the keyframes of the video led us to an article by The Times of India published on July 23, 2020. As per the report, “Police has registered a case against five people for brutally thrashing 2 men at SDO office in Haryana’s Munak.”

A video report by Punjab Kesari said, “In Gagsina village of CM City Karnal, an electricity line being installed was passing through a person’s field. Some people of the village reached the office of the Electricity Department regarding the inconvenience and complained to the SDO. The SDO called the contractor and said that the power line should be removed from there. While the discussion was ongoing, 5-6 people from the same village entered the SDO’s office and start beating the complainants.”

A July 22 report by India TV carries the police’s statement. Police officials said that a complaint was filed against five people, out of which three were arrested. The other two’s involvement is being investigated. The officer informed that personal enmity sparked the violence.

A two-week-old case has been shared with the false claim that a Haryana BJP MLA was beaten.