COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious threat to the well-being of an individual, not just physically but mentally as well. As the mental toll gets heavy, people seem to take the extreme step of suicide. But one such attempted suicide by a woman was foiled by J&K police in Srinagar, shortly after a youth jumped into the river Jehlum.
A video of J&K police officers rescuing the woman from dying by suicide has gone viral on social media and in WhatsApp groups, but some have shared the video with a misleading context.
The claim
The video shows J&K police officers carrying a woman despite her resistance. The incident happened in Srinagar, near Budshah Bridge. WhatsApp groups have been buzzing with this video, with claims that the jawans in Srinagar forcefully carried the woman against her will, hinting at police brutality in the region.
The video with this context naturally drew strong criticism as the woman can be seen resisting while 2-3 male police officers lift her up after being unable to take her away. Some posts even gave it a communal spin, sparking controversy.
Fact check
International Business Times also reviewed the said viral video of a woman being taken away against her will by some J&K police officers. But some claims are misleading as the woman wasn't arrested by the cops. While many social media users shared the video with what exactly happened, some users used a misleading context to disrupt harmony in the valley.
Taking note of the video going viral on social media and other platforms, Srinagar Police issued a clarification to put any rumours to bed. There was no communal or political angle to the incident, in fact, the police officers saved the woman's life.
According to the police's official statement, the woman was attempting to jump into the river Jehlum in Srinagar from Budshah Bridge, but was restrained by the alert police officers and jawans deployed there. Due to the urgency of the situation, the officers had to act swiftly and couldn't wait for lady police officers to arrive.
This video is being circulated on social media. It is clarified that the lady attempted to jump into river Jehlum from Budshah Bridge, Srinagar. She was restrained by the @JmuKmrPolice and CRPF jawans deployed there. Lady police couldn’t assist given the urgency of the situation. pic.twitter.com/A8lqD8FAq8
— Srinagar Police (@SrinagarPolice) May 31, 2021
Based on the official statement by Srinagar Police, it is clear that the cops were merely trying to save the woman's life. Other claims linked to the viral video are false.
