Fact Check: Video of Police Beating Woman in India Is Staged

In a digital landscape where misinformation spreads rapidly, a video purportedly showing police brutality in India has gained significant traction across social media platforms. The disturbing footage depicts a man in police uniform grabbing a woman by her hair and assaulting her with punches. Shared widely as “leaked footage” from an Indian police station, the video has sparked outrage among viewers concerned about law enforcement conduct.

However, an investigation by India Today’s Fact Check team has revealed that the viral video is entirely staged and features actors, not actual police officers or victims.

The investigation traced the video to an Instagram page called “Haunted Guru Ji,” which specializes in paranormal and horror content. According to the page’s biography information, it is managed by content creator Arjun Singh, whose profile clearly identifies him as an entertainment content producer specializing in dramatized scenarios.

Further investigation led to a YouTube channel also titled “Haunted Guru Ji,” where the original, extended version of the viral clip was published on September 6. The full video runs approximately 16 minutes and bears a Hindi title that translates to “Tankrit comes to devour the body of a sacrificed minor before the final rites.” The segment being circulated as police brutality appears around the 7-minute and 45-second mark of this longer production.

Importantly, the YouTube description contains an explicit disclaimer stating that the content was created purely for entertainment purposes and to raise awareness about paranormal activities. The full video also clarifies that the person being struck in the viral segment is actually a male actor, not a female as many social media posts have claimed.

This case highlights a growing concern about decontextualized content on social media platforms. Short clips extracted from longer fictional narratives can easily be misrepresented when shared without proper context, particularly when they depict scenarios that align with existing social tensions or concerns.

The channel “Haunted Guru Ji” appears to specialize in this genre of content, with investigators discovering several other staged videos featuring similar fake police scenarios among their catalog of uploads. These videos typically blend elements of horror, paranormal themes, and dramatic situations involving authority figures to generate views.

Misinformation involving law enforcement is particularly sensitive in India, where police conduct has been a subject of ongoing public debate. False allegations of police misconduct can potentially undermine legitimate cases of abuse while damaging public trust in institutions.

Digital literacy experts point to this incident as an example of why critical media consumption skills are increasingly essential. Viewers are encouraged to seek original sources, look for context beyond short clips, and verify information through established fact-checking organizations before sharing emotionally provocative content.

Social media platforms continue to grapple with the challenge of contextualizing viral content. While some have implemented fact-checking partnerships and warning labels, the speed at which content spreads often outpaces verification efforts.

As digital content creation becomes more sophisticated and accessible, distinguishing between dramatized scenarios and genuine documentation will likely remain a significant challenge for online communities and information ecosystems.

In this particular case, what appeared to be evidence of serious misconduct was, in reality, nothing more than a horror-themed entertainment production taken out of context and presented as reality.