A video of a National Security Guard (NSG) mock drill in Tamil Nadu is being shared on social media falsely claiming that it is from Gurgaon, Haryana, showing a group of gunmen openly roaming on a pickup truck.
BOOM reached out to Vellore Superintendent of Police N. Mathivanan, who confirmed that the incident in the viral video is from a mock drill conducted by the NSG at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) campus on March 2, 2025.
A verified X user shared a video with the Hindi caption when translated reads, "The viral video is being said to be from Gurgaon, Haryana where four gunmen are roaming around openly in a car with their faces covered with cloth!"
(Original Text in Hindi: वायरल वीडियो हरियाणा गुड़गांव का बताया जा रहा है जहां एक कार में चार बंदूकधारी मुंह पर कपड़ा बांधकर खुलेआम घूम रहे हैं !)
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Another video from the same mock drill is also being shared on X claiming that it is from VIT Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
Click here to view an archive of one such post.
Fact Check
BOOM found that the viral videos are from a mock drill conducted by the National Security Guard at the Vellore Institute of Technology campus in Tamil Nadu on March 2, 2025.
Video 1
We first ran a keyword search for 'NSG mock drill' and found a report published by The Hindu on March 2, 2025, stating that NSG officials carried out mock drills on the VIT campus that day to practice security and rescue operations for potential threats.
The report included a visual that matches one of the viral videos and mentioned that Vellore SP N. Mathivanan had coordinated with the NSG and district police for the exercise.
The report detailed about the mock drill stating, "As part of the exercise, the mock drill was started at the Armed Reserve (AR) parade ground near the fort complex in the town where a large team from the T.N. Special Task Force was stationed. As the team got alert about some terrorist attack, the commandos rushed to the university campus. Later, they were joined by an NSG team, who were coming from Chennai and guided by local police at the border of the district to the university campus."
It further stated that VIT officials clarified the exercise was entirely conducted by security forces, with the university only providing its campus. The district police also urged the public not to panic after videos of the mock drill went viral.
Video 2
Towards the end of the 25-second video, the pickup truck carrying four gunmen stops near a location where entrance of the VIT campus is clearly visible. The vehicle's number plate features the initials "HR" along with a 'Govt of India' label on its body.
Taking a cue, BOOM reached out to Vellore SP N. Mathivanan who confirmed the video is from the NSG mock drill that was conducted from 11:30 AM to 6:40 PM on March 2, 2025. He also provided a detailed press release about the incident.
The press release stated, "The mock drill was led by Commandant Mr. Sandeep Kumar, who supervised 104 NSG commandos, and Superintendent of Police (SP) Mr. Arun Balagopalan (IPS), who led 57 Tamil Nadu Commandos. Additionally, Katpadi sub-division Assistant SP Mr. Palani, Katpadi subdivision police officers, and Katpadi Revenue Officer Mr. Jagadeesan participated in the event. The coordination of the exercise was overseen by District Crime Branch Assistant SP Mr. Thirunavukarasu."
