Mock Drill Passed Off as Terror Threat Alert by Mumbai Police
Sources who were aware of the operation told The Quint that it was a “routine mock drill”.
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CLAIM
A set of videos are being circulated on social media with the claim that the Mumbai Police commissioner has issued a terror threat alert. The videos show people clad in a black-coloured uniform walking and civilians passing by.
The claim the video is shared with reads: ‘Mumbai Police commissioner. Total Mumbai under terrorist attack... be careful . All railway stations... bars or any theatres and auditoriums...all public places. Please forward to all groups. Jai Hind. Jai Maharashtra.’
The Quint received a query about the claim made along with the videos via its WhatsApp helpline number.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The claim the videos are being shared with are false; the Mumbai Police has not issued any alert regarding a terror attack. Insofar as the videos are concerned, they are from a routine mock drill which happens several times in a year.
Inspector General of Police, Cyber, Brijesh Singh, took to Twitter to clarify that no such advisory has been issued by Mumbai Police. This tweet was issued in connection with another video which has gone viral with the same claim.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
Upon carefully looking at one of the videos, we saw a hoarding of ‘Jagruti Nagar.’ Consequently, we searched on YouTube using keywords ‘Mumbai high alert Jagruti Nagar.’
The YouTube key word search led us to several videos which were same as the ones we had received but with a slightly different claim: ‘Mumbai High Alert, NSG Commando Full Security in Metro Station at Asalfa, Sakinaka & Jagruti nagar.’ YouTube users, on one such video, had posted comments that suggested that it was a drill.
Sources who were aware of the operation told The Quint on condition of anonymity that it was a “routine mock drill” and happens several times a year at various locations.
They conducted this drill in collaboration with National Security Guard (NSG) and the Mumbai Police. When such drills are conducted, people of the area are kept in confidence, the source added.
SAME CLAIM VIRAL WITH DIFFERENT VIDEO
The Quint had earlier debunked the same claim but with a different video. In the video clip, the man can be heard saying, “Intelligence agencies have hinted that after revoking 370 from Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan army, Pakistan intelligence agency ISI is planning to attack Indian cities.”
The Quint got in touch with Brigadier Hemant Mahajan, the man is in the video. He told us that the video is from a soundbite that he had given to a Marathi news channel. Mahajan is an ex-Army officer who has served in counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Northeast.
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