Editors Guild of India treasurer Sheela Bhat tweeted a video of a woman being arrested and wrote, “In Singspore (sic), if no mask, straight arrest. No sympathy.” The woman in the video can be seen arguing with authorities. Around the 45th second mark, she can be heard saying, “Stop… this is against human rights”. This video has been viewed over 80,000 times. (archived link)
In Singspore, if no mask, straight arrest.
No sympathy. pic.twitter.com/JYkh2QchDk— Sheela Bhatt (@sheela2010) October 20, 2020
The video was also promoted by several Facebook users including the page All Singapore Stuff (archived link).with the text, “Woman in yellow arrested. Was it even necessary to handcuff her?” This post gained over 1,000 likes and 800 comments. People in the comments assume she was arrested for not wearing a mask.
Alt News received several requests to fact-check the claim on our WhatsApp helpline (+917600011160) and official Android application.
Fact-check
Alt News performed Google search using the keywords “Singapore woman arrest” and found that Singapore-based newspaper Today Online reported that the incident took place on October 14 at Novena Square mall. As per the report, the woman was arrested by the police after she poured soup over a stranger’s head and bit him. It added that the woman’s relative was present at the scene but was unable to calm her down. The victim was taken to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
The police told Today Online, “The woman is also being investigated for voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out his duties. She had hurled verbal abuse and also spat on the officers in the process.” The woman is reportedly being treated at a mental health institution.
Singaporean leader M Ravi criticised the police in a Facebook post wrote that the arrest was an abuse of power as the woman was apprehended by three male cops and a female officer. He said that a lawyer sent him the video to help the woman.
Additionally, Asia One, Stomp and Mothership also reported about the incident.
Therefore a video from Singapore that shows a woman resisting arrest after she assaulted a stranger in a mall is being shared with the false claim that she was taken into custody for not wearing a mask.
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