A video (here, here and here) is circulating on social media showing two boys attacking people with weapons on a street at night, vandalising shops, and targeting passersby. Towards the end of the video, the police arrive, chase one of them, and eventually catch him. The claim suggests that this incident took place in Uttar Pradesh and that the attackers are Muslims. Let’s verify the truth behind this video.
Claim: The video shows police catching Muslim miscreants in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The incident in the viral video occurred on 28 December 2022, in Pune, Maharashtra—not Uttar Pradesh. Bharathi Vidyapeeth police confirmed that the individuals involved were minors, not Muslims, and that there was no communal angle. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search on Google, which led us to several news reports (here, here, here and here) related to this incident. According to these reports, the incident took place on 28 December 2022, in Pune, Maharashtra. On that day, two youths were seen smashing shop windows and threatening motorists with sharp weapons. The reports identified them as members of the “Koyta Gang,” a group in Pune known for using “koyta” weapons which are traditionally meant for gardening. The incident occurred near Sinhagad Law College in Pune. Upon receiving information, the local police arrived at the scene, caught one of the individuals, and subdued him. The other suspect, who managed to escape, was later arrested in January 2023. A case was registered against them under various sections at the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station.
The comparison between the viral video and Google Street View images further confirms that this incident happened in Pune.
Further research led us to a report by Policenama (Archive), a website that covers crime news from Pune. The report mentioned the names of the individuals involved, and their names indicate that they are not Muslims. The case falls under the jurisdiction of Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station. Additionally, Aaj Tak reached out to the police, who confirmed that both boys are minors and that there is no communal angle to this incident. As both the accused are minors, their names are masked.
To sum up, a 2022 video of the police catching miscreants in Maharashtra is shared as an incident from Uttar Pradesh with a false communal angle.
