Fact Check: 45 killed in police shoot-out during Bhopal protest? Viral claims are FALSE
Protests took place in Bhopal on May 12. While there were clashes, the police did not open fire on anyone.
India Today Fact Check
On May 10, a Muslim man called Arif Khan was assaulted inside a hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal. Khan was with a Hindu woman at the hotel when men reportedly linked to the Bajrang Dal entered the premises and accused him of “love jihad” — a conspiracy theory that purports Muslim men romantically trap Hindu women to convert them — and beat him up. The woman, however, reportedly told police that she was in a live-in relationship with Khan and that there had been no forced conversion.
After the video of the assault went viral, there were widespread protests in Old Bhopal on May 12. Demonstrators gathered around Peer Gate and near the Police Commissioner’s office, demanding strict action against the attackers. The following day, six people, including a minor, were arrested. During the protests, however, there were reported incidents of stone-pelting and clashes. Three people were injured in the unrest, and three people were detained. Security was tightened across sensitive areas, including Peer Gate.
Amid this tense atmosphere, an X user claimed that, “So far, 45 people have been killed and 200 injured across the city. Mosques are being set on fire.” The post contained three videos: the viral clip of Arif Khan being assaulted, a video of a building on fire, and another showing a demonstration.
The same user also shared another post featuring another video of a protest claiming, “Police are reportedly opening direct fire on protesters, several killed.” A Pakistan-based account also shared these videos with the same claim.
India Today Fact Check found that the claim of 45 deaths, 200 injuries, mosques being burnt, or police opening fire on protesters is false.
People killed?
We found no credible reports of mass killings or mosques being set on fire in the city. Further, Bhopal’s Additional DCP Shalini Dixit told India Today Fact Check that police had not opened fire on any protesters and no mosque had been set ablaze.
At present, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, have been issued in the city.
Video of the fire
We reverse-searched keyframes from the video of the fire, which led us to a May 13 Facebook post by The Sunday Guardian. The post stated that the fire had broken out in a multi-storey building opposite the People’s Hospital in Bhopal.
The Times of India reported that on May 13, in a four-storey building in Bhopal’s Karond area, flames erupted from the generator of an electronics showroom and quickly spread to nearby air conditioners and furniture. No lives were lost in the incident.
Videos of protests
We found one of the videos in a report published by the Muslim Mirror on May 13, which said that it was from the protests held in Bhopal after Arif Khan’s assault. Per the report, the protest began at the Kaziyat premises.
We found the other protest video posted by an Instagram user on May 13. It was captioned: “Taj ul masajid.” Notably, protestors had gathered near this very mosque on May 12 in Old Bhopal. However, we could not ascertain the date on which the video was shot.
Thus, it is clear that the viral claims are false.
(Written by Rashmi Gupta)
On May 10, a Muslim man called Arif Khan was assaulted inside a hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal. Khan was with a Hindu woman at the hotel when men reportedly linked to the Bajrang Dal entered the premises and accused him of “love jihad” — a conspiracy theory that purports Muslim men romantically trap Hindu women to convert them — and beat him up. The woman, however, reportedly told police that she was in a live-in relationship with Khan and that there had been no forced conversion.
After the video of the assault went viral, there were widespread protests in Old Bhopal on May 12. Demonstrators gathered around Peer Gate and near the Police Commissioner’s office, demanding strict action against the attackers. The following day, six people, including a minor, were arrested. During the protests, however, there were reported incidents of stone-pelting and clashes. Three people were injured in the unrest, and three people were detained. Security was tightened across sensitive areas, including Peer Gate.
Amid this tense atmosphere, an X user claimed that, “So far, 45 people have been killed and 200 injured across the city. Mosques are being set on fire.” The post contained three videos: the viral clip of Arif Khan being assaulted, a video of a building on fire, and another showing a demonstration.
The same user also shared another post featuring another video of a protest claiming, “Police are reportedly opening direct fire on protesters, several killed.” A Pakistan-based account also shared these videos with the same claim.
India Today Fact Check found that the claim of 45 deaths, 200 injuries, mosques being burnt, or police opening fire on protesters is false.
People killed?
We found no credible reports of mass killings or mosques being set on fire in the city. Further, Bhopal’s Additional DCP Shalini Dixit told India Today Fact Check that police had not opened fire on any protesters and no mosque had been set ablaze.
At present, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, have been issued in the city.
Video of the fire
We reverse-searched keyframes from the video of the fire, which led us to a May 13 Facebook post by The Sunday Guardian. The post stated that the fire had broken out in a multi-storey building opposite the People’s Hospital in Bhopal.
The Times of India reported that on May 13, in a four-storey building in Bhopal’s Karond area, flames erupted from the generator of an electronics showroom and quickly spread to nearby air conditioners and furniture. No lives were lost in the incident.
Videos of protests
We found one of the videos in a report published by the Muslim Mirror on May 13, which said that it was from the protests held in Bhopal after Arif Khan’s assault. Per the report, the protest began at the Kaziyat premises.
We found the other protest video posted by an Instagram user on May 13. It was captioned: “Taj ul masajid.” Notably, protestors had gathered near this very mosque on May 12 in Old Bhopal. However, we could not ascertain the date on which the video was shot.
Thus, it is clear that the viral claims are false.
(Written by Rashmi Gupta)