A video has been going around on the internet claiming that social distancing in Telangana has gone for a toss as an auto-rickshaw carrying 24 people, including adults and children was pulled up by the police at a rural checkpoint.

The caption being shared along with the video reads, ” Social distancing in Telangana. Twenty four adults and kids were travelling in this auto rickshaw when the cops pulled it up at a rare rural checkposts.”

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A Facebook account by the name Mohan Guruswamy first posted this video that has been further shared on the platform.

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Truth

The incident did not take place during the lockdown.

A simple google search using the keywords “24 people in autorickshaw” directs you towards numerous articles that have been published in August 2019.

According to the news articles published in 2019, the driver, Abdul, had packed his vehicle with 24 passengers, all women and children, who were headed towards Thimmapur village, Telangana. On his way, he was stopped by cops who then asked the people inside to vacate the vehicle while simultaneously counting the number of passengers who deboarded.

Some articles regarding the same can be found here, here and here.

A reverse image search using various keyframes from the video led us back to a Facebook video posted by Way2News – Short News App, News Summary on 12 August, 2019. It has more than 16,000 views.

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Moreover, the official twitter handle of the Police Commissioner of Karimnagar in Telangana tweeted the exact same video on August 11, 2019, under the context of sensitizing people towards road safety.

People should take care of their own safety. They shouldn’t board in overcrowded passenger autos unmindful of their safety pic.twitter.com/Aul2l2LM7C

— CP KARIMNAGAR (@cpkarimnagar) August 11, 2019