Video Of Cop Caught Shoplifting In Lucknow Peddled With Communal Claim

A video of a crowd manhandling a police constable who was caught shoplifting at a mall in Lucknow is viral on social media with a false claim that the latter is a Muslim cop named Salim, working as a constable with Lucknow Police. BOOM reached out to Lucknow Police who confirmed that the accused has been identified as police constable Adesh Kumar.

The viral video shows a mob in a mall restraining a policeman and catching him wearing a number of shirts below his uniform. The cop is also assaulted in the altercation.

The clip is viral with netizens misidentifying the police constable as one Salim and falsely equating it to 'Jihad' or waging a religious war.

The video has been captioned as, "Salim became a laughing stock in Lucknow. Soldier Salim had gone to the mall for shopping. And he was beaten up for charges of theft. Salim was caught red-handed wearing three stolen shirts under the uniform in the trial room. Jihad every where, Jihad in every manner."

(Original caption in Hindi: सलीम का सिनेमा बन गया लखनऊ: मॉल में खरीदारी करने गए सिपाही सलीम की चोरी के आरोप में हुई पिटाई,,,, ट्रायल रूम में वर्दी के नीचे चोरी कर तीन शर्ट पहन कर निकले सलीम की पोल खुली।जिहाद हर जगह हर रूप में जिहाद)

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Fact Check

BOOM ran a keyword search on Google and found the same viral video uploaded by ABP Ganga on February 25. According to the news bulletin, the constable was caught shoplifting from a mall when he attempted to escape and sirens started blowing; later the constable was scanned by a metal detector to find that he had stolen garments from the shop. The incident happened at the V Mart mall in Lucknow's Hussainganj, where the mall employees and security guards caught the constable. After the incident, the constable was reportedly dismissed from service.

BOOM reached out to Somen Barma, DCP Central of Lucknow; Hussainganj falls under the jurisdiction of Central Lucknow.

"The constable Adesh Kumar was in a mall when this incident happened. He was manhandled and a scuffle broke out after that, where a couple of people beat him up. An FIR has been lodged against the people who manhandled the police constable. Further investigations have been launched by senior IPS officers."

According to a report in Aaj Tak Adesh Kumar wore three shirts under his uniform.

"When he was trying to escape sirens started blaring and the metal detectors caught the constable redhanded. Kumar had later been suspended." DK Thakur, police commissioner told Aaj Tak that constable Adesh Kumar was earlier posted in Gomati Nagar police station.