2019 video of a police-public clash over a road accident in Nadia district is being shared as recent in the context of the Murshidabad violence
Following the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in the first week of April, Muslims have been protesting against the newly enacted law across the country, including in West Bengal (here, here, and here). According to news reports (here, here), on 11 April 2025, these protests turned violent in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, resulting in Violence and riots. Reports (here, here, and here) indicate that three people lost their lives in the violence: two Hindus, Chandan Das and Hargobind Das, were killed in a mob attack, while a Muslim man died in police firing. According to reports, hundreds of people (mostly Hindus) affected by the violence in Murshidabad district crossed the Bhagirathi River and sought refuge in the adjoining Malda district (here, here, and here). On 12 April 2025, the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces to restore peace and order in the district (here, here).
Amidst this, a video (here, here, here, here, and here) showing a policeman who had fallen into the bushes while surrounded by a large group of men is being widely shared across social media platforms. It is being claimed that the video shows a policeman being attacked by “Lungi Forces” (Muslims) on the Krishnanagar–Nabadwip Road at Bhaluka Battala, in Nadia district, West Bengal. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a policeman being attacked by a group of Muslims on the Krishnanagar–Nabadwip Road at Bhaluka Battala in Nadia district, West Bengal, in April 2025 during the protests against Waqf amendment act.
Fact: This viral video dates back to June 2019 and shows a clash between the police and the public following a road accident in the Nabadwip police station area of Nadia district, West Bengal. According to reports, following a road accident in which a young man died after being hit by a lorry, local residents blocked the state highway for several hours. When the police arrived to recover the body, a scuffle broke out with the locals, who then chased the officers with sticks. Amid the chaos, one policeman fell into the bushes while attempting to flee. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
To gather details about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using keyframes from the footage. This search led us to a Facebook post made on 15 April 2025 by the official handle of the West Bengal Police Cyber Crime Wing (Fact Check – The Truth). Responding to the viral posts, the Cyber Crime Wing clarified that the video dates back to 2019 and depicts an incident that took place after a road accident in Nabadwip, Nadia district. According to the post, the incident occurred following a sudden protest by a small group of local residents against the police. The post also included a news report about the incident.
The news report referenced in the Facebook post provided further details about the incident. According to the report, tensions flared in the Nabadwip police station area after a lorry collided with a bicycle, resulting in the death of a young man. In response, local residents blocked the road. When police arrived to control the situation, clashes broke out. The mob also attacked the police, and during the chaos, one policeman fell into bushes while running.
A report published by ABP Ananda on its website in June 2019 stated that the deceased, identified as Jhantu Mandal (19), had been riding a bicycle when he was fatally struck by a sand-laden lorry heading towards Krishnanagar, between Gauranga Bridge and Gaurnagar. Following the accident, local residents blocked the state highway for several hours. When the police arrived to recover the body, a scuffle broke out with the locals, who then chased the officers with sticks. Amid the chaos, one policeman fell into the bushes while trying to flee. Later, a large police force from Krishnanagar was deployed to bring the situation under control.
Furthermore, we also contacted the Station House Officer (SHO) of Nabadwip, who confirmed that the incident took place in 2019 in Nadia district. Based on all the available information, it is evident that this incident occurred in June 2019 and does not have any communal angle. However, we were unable to verify the identities of the individuals involved in the clash with the police.
To sum up, an old video of a clash between the police and the public over a road accident in West Bengal’s Nadia district is being shared as recent in the context of the Murshidabad unrest.