A video of police personnel publicly thrashing and parading a group of people is viral with a false claim that they shouted slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad' amidst the military escalations between India and its neighbour.
BOOM found the claim is false and the video shows members of a gang being publicly paraded in Bhopal. We also spoke to Bhopal police who confirmed the same.
The video was shared by the X account Megh Updates, with the caption, "Traitors supporting Pakistan and raising 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans serviced and paraded by Bhopal Police".
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
BOOM has previously debuked several communally sensitive claims made the Megh Updates account.
Fact Check
BOOM found a Dainik Bhaskar report from May 9, 2025 with a featured image which matched visuals from the viral video. According to the report, Bhopal Police apprehended gangster Zubair Maulana and three of his associates, for their alleged involvement in recent shootings and vandalism in the area.
The story further added that all four of the arrested accused were publicly paraded and thrashed by the police.
The Times of India on May 10, also carried a similar report and News18 Chhattisgarh aired visuals about the same incident. None of the reports mentioned sloganeering of Pakistan Zindabad.
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
We then reached out Mangalwara police, Bhopal, one of the teams involved in the incident. Speaking to BOOM, Station House Officer Ajay Kumar Soni denied that the accused were publicly paraded and beaten for chanting Pakistan Zindabad slogans. "There is no connection to 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans and the claim is false. There are cases registered against (gangster) Zubair in Mangalwara and other police stations...the video shows the gang members being arrested and paraded by the police to rid the locals of fear (of the accused)."