A bomb blast ripped through Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru, on March 1, 2024.
A video is widely shared on social media in which police are seen apprehending a burqa-clad man smuggling alcohol.
The video is shared with a caption hinting that the man in the burqa is an Islamist whom police have arrested after the bomb blast at Rameshwar’s cafe.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “कल ही बेंगलुरु में बम ब्लास्ट हुआ है। बुर्का-हिजाब पहने आतंकी समूहों पर कड़ी नजर रखते हुए सावधानी बरतनी चाहिए।” (English translation, “Just yesterday there was a bomb blast in Bengaluru. Precaution should be taken by keeping a close watch on terrorist groups wearing burqa-hijab.”)
SouthCheck found the claim to be misleading. We found the video was old and had no relation to the Bengaluru bomb blast.
On doing a Google reverse image search, we found the same video was uploaded by a YouTube channel on August 8, 2020.
We found that the same video was uploaded by ETV Andhra Pradesh on August 8, 2020. The video has a caption that reads, “Several Arrested for Transferring Illegal Liquor with Wearing Burqa at Kurnool District.” The report suggested, “Andhra Pradesh police had arrested an individual disguised in a burqa for transporting illegal alcohol from Telangana. The report further suggested that the smuggler masqueraded as a woman in an attempt to deceive the police. However, the authorities at the Panchalinga check post became suspicious, leading to a search of the vehicle and eventually resulting in the discovery of liquor bottles.”
We found that the Joint Commissioner of Police of Vishakhapatnam had also shared the video on August 16, 2020, with a caption that read, “Facts#
The burqa-clad man in this video was found carrying liquor bottles
illegally across the state from Telangana to Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Caught by Excise police, was reported on 7-8-2020 in Kurnool Taluka Police station.”
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral post is old and is of Andhra Pradesh.
