Old video of youth allegedly beaten by Indian army men viral in the backdrop of Article 370

by Pooja Chaudhuri

A video where army men can be seen brutally thrashing a man is viral on social media with the claim that the atrocity is taking place in Kashmir.

Several users have circulated the clip using the same narrative.

The video was earlier shared as atrocity carried out by Pakistani army in Balochistan.

Old video

The video in question is not recent but two years old. According to a PTI report republished by Deccan Herald, “A student of Pulwama Degree College is purportedly seen pinned to the ground by four army personnel and being thrashed with a cane.” This report was published on August 15, 2017.

Several other media outlets, including Pakistani media, had reported the alleged incident. The Indian Express quoted Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia who said that the veracity of the video is being ascertained. “Action will be taken against those found guilty of misconduct,” Col Kalia said.

As per DNA, the video emerged just a day after the army had tied a man to their jeep and paraded him in Budgam district in 2017. This was to bring “stone pelters” in control.

There are several clues in the video which suggest that it was indeed shot in India – advertisements of Airtel and Nerolac, both of which are Indian companies. Furthermore, a banner on the right has ‘Srinagar’ printed on it.

An old video is currently viral, giving the impression that the incident is recent. Earlier, a video of Kulgam blast from last year was viral as recent atrocities in Kashmir. A 2018 video of an alleged human shield incident was also circulated as a recent event.

About the Author

Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News.