A video of a Hyderabad traffic police constable being chased and attacked by four persons who were found violating traffic rules has been going viral for a week.
On Thursday, several Telugu news channels had aired the video, stating that the constable was attacked by four rowdy sheeters on the road in Nampally, Hyderabad, while the public remained spectators. However, the police were quick to clarify that it was an old video.
The video shows the traffic constable talking to a cab driver when four young men approach the unsuspecting cop. They are seen pushing him, even as he resists. As they continue to assault him in the middle of a busy road, he pushes them away and is seen running away, out of the frame, with the accused chasing him.
Watch the video below:
According to the Hyderabad City Traffic Police, the incident took place on October 8, 2018, near Niloufer Cafe, which falls under the Nampally police jurisdiction.
The police said that the traffic constable in question had taken a photograph of three accused when they were found riding triples. Angered by this, the accused parked their vehicle, and picked up a fight with the policeman.
The police said that they took prompt action against the accused and arrested them the next day.
The Hyderabad Traffic Police, in its press note, said, “The video circulating on social media and electronic media is an old one. Please check the authenticity of the video before broadcasting news.”
Speaking to TNM, Nampally traffic police Inspector Saidulu said, “It is an old video that has been doing the rounds again. In this incident, we had filed a complaint, the accused were arrested, and a charge-sheet was also filed against them.”
As the video was being circulated on social media, the Hyderabad City Police also took to Twitter and issued a clarification to those who had tweeted it.
The news channels took down the video after the police issued the clarification.