Fact Check: Did violence break out in Bihar again over the Agnipath Scheme

New Delhi, Jul 02: There were widespread protests reported in some parts of the country following the announcement of the Agnipath Scheme. Trains were burnt in Bihar and other parts of the country and public property vandalised.

Now a video of a mob attacking a police van has gone viral with the claim that it took place in Bihar. The caption also says that the protest was due to the Agnipath Scheme.

OneIndia has learnt that the claim is false and the violence is not related to the announcement of the Agnipath Scheme. We found that the video is from January 14 2021. Several YouTube channels including Kalinga TV, an Odisha based news channel had covered the protest.

Kalinga carried the video with the title Locals Sets Police Van Ablaze After Youth Dies Allegedly Being Beaten Up By Cops.

The incident took place at Tihidi, Bhadrak district, Odisha and the video shows residents attacking a police car over the death of a man. Reports said that Bapi Mahalik of Hatuari village was interrogated by the police relating to a case. His body was later found in a pond.

This triggered massive violence and the family alleged that Mahalik had died by suicide following police brutality. The villagers blocked the Bhadrak-Chandbali highway near Alinagar and displayed his body on the road.

When the police arrived n the scene, the protesters set the police van on fire. Hence we conclude that the video being shared with the claim that violence broke out again in Bihar over the Agnipath recruitment scheme is false and the video is from Odisha which was shot in 2021.