Patna: Claims that a viral video showing a youth being assaulted in Patna involved police personnel — and references to Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary — have been found to be false, police said, as two men were arrested in connection with the incident.
The clip, widely shared on social media, appeared to show a man slapping and verbally abusing a young person while invoking political allegiance and opposition to the BJP, prompting allegations of police misconduct and intimidation. Senior officers ordered an immediate inquiry after the footage gained traction.
However, Patna East superintendent of police (SP- East) Parichay Kumar said none of the individuals seen in the video were police officers. “No personnel from Bihar Police or Patna Police were involved,” he said, adding that the episode did not take place at a police station.
#SocialMedia पर वायरल वीडियो का त्वरित संज्ञान, मारपीट मामले में 02 अभियुक्त गिरफ्तार।
कल दिनांक 04.01.2026 को #सोशल_मीडिया के माध्यम से एक वीडियो संज्ञान में आया, जिसमें दो युवकों द्वारा एक युवक के साथ मारपीट एवं गाली-गलौज करते हुए उसे जुर्माना भरने के लिए बाध्य करते हुए दिखाया… pic.twitter.com/DZ8MgP92Fc
— Patna Police (@PatnaPolice24x7) January 5, 2026
Investigators identified the arrested men as Rashid Iqbal, a resident of the Pirbahore police station area, and Gorakh Giri, who lives near the Mithapur bus stand. Police said the incident occurred on December 31 inside a Vishal Mega Mart outlet in Kankarbagh. One man’s trousers, similar in colour to a police uniform, had contributed to the confusion, officers said, but he had no link to law enforcement.
According to police, the youth was allegedly attempting to steal clothing from the store when he was confronted and assaulted inside the premises. Iqbal had previously worked at the outlet as a floor manager before being dismissed and later returned as an outsourced supplier, while Giri was employed there as a cleaner. A case has been registered at Kankarbagh police station and further investigation is under way.
