The scene opens with an unsteady shot of a D Mart. What follows is quite dramatic – uniformed security officials and policemen are surrounding a man who emerges from the store, his covered by a black bag. Some officials are pointing their guns at him.
This video has been circulating on social media along with the message that this shows a potential bomber being nabbed from the Attapur D Mart in Hyderabad. This is far from the truth, however, as the video is actually that of a mock drill being conducted by the Mumbai police.
However, because of the fake news circulating along with the video, the Cyberabad police have issued a clarification and also a warning to the public not to spread misleading facts. The police warned that if anyone was found circulating hoax news, stringent action would be taken against them as per law.
The clarification says that video actually features Palgar District Police along with Riot Control Police during a mock drill at a Hyper market in Mumbai two days ago. “It was a mock drill conducted by the police in Mumbai and there is nothing to believe that it is a true incident in Hyderabad,” said the police in their notice.
In the 45-second video, seven police and riot control police take a man out of a D Mart premises as two of them hold him. Three others have got their guns pointed at him. The officers take the man, place him in a vehicle and leave. In the background a man could be heard speaking in heavily accented Hindi, “they have captured a terrorist.”
Due to the video doing the rounds, people in Hyderabad have been enquiring if a suicide bomber who has been apprehended in the city. Some wondered if a bomb was being planted at the shopping centre.
Interestingly, the police vehicle in the video has the words written on it in Hindi, a clear give away that the video did not originate in Hyderabad. The police vehicle also does not sport the logo distinctive to the Cyberabad police, where the Attapur D Mart is located.
The fake news about the police nabbing a potential bomber in Hyderabad comes at the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir, which killed 40 CRPF jawans. Police here say they are taking all necessary security measures in the city. Any information or rumour can be passed to Police at 100 (or) WhatsApp Number 9490617444.