A video of a police force attempting to apprehend a naked man in the middle of the road is widely shared on social media. The video is claimed to show the Chennai police beating up a British naval officer for not paying money, suggesting that such actions by the police will tarnish India’s image globally.
The video is shared on Facebook with a caption: “ताज़ा खबर! पैसे नहीं देने पर चेन्नई में भारतीय पुलिस द्वारा पीटे गए एक ब्रिटिश नौसेना अधिकारी की वीडियो वायरल। ये लोग अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर भारत की छवि को और खराब करेंगे” (English version: See below.)
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FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above claim, and found it to be FALSE.
With keywords search, the NM team found a report by the Free Press Journal, dated April 2, 2024, featuring screenshots from the viral video. As per the report, two foreign nationals caused a disturbance on the road in Chennai’s Royapettah area under the influence of alcohol. Despite efforts by bystanders to control them, the individuals continued to run around in a drunken state even after the police intervened. Additionally, one of the intoxicated foreigners attempted to attack a motorcyclist.
We found this news published in multiple sources. However, none of these reports claims that the police in Chennai beat up a British naval officer for not paying money.
According to the published reports, the man in the video is from America and has been identified as JL Willis, a sailor in the UK’s Royal Navy. Willis had gone to a mall with his 24 companions, where he reportedly became intoxicated and created a disturbance in Chennai’s Royapettah area. He also attempted to bite the passersby.
Thus, it is clear that the viral claim is false.
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