Bengaluru: Man Arrested for Spreading Hoax ‘Zombie Drug’ Video on Social Media

Bengaluru: A 29-year-old employee was arrested for uploading the misleading video of a so-called zombie drug on Friday, April 10. This comes days after a video of a man seen in a disoriented state went viral on social media, claiming that he was under the influence of a zombie drug. The accused, identified as Hemant, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, spread the misinformation without verifying it and created a panic among Bengaluru and across Karnataka, prompting Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, to declare it a hoax.

Police issued Hemant a notice requesting a video statement, after releasing his initial video. In the video, Hemant stated that on April 7, after work, he was traveling towards Rajankunte when he saw a motionless man. Influenced by Instagram videos about alleged "zombie drug" cases, he assumed the same, recording and uploading the video without verifying the facts. 

He apologized for the panic caused by the video and urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified content. He was arrested under Section 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for spreading false or misleading information and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act for cheating by personation using computer resources. Bengaluru police stated in a press release that they traced the individual in the viral video near Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Yelahanka. He underwent a medical examination, which revealed no traces of narcotic or psychotropic substances. Authorities clarified his disoriented state was due to prescribed arthritis medication combined with alcohol.

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Police found that he had recently arrived in Bengaluru seeking employment and had been living there for three months. Further investigation is underway.Bengaluru police cautioned the public against spreading unverified or misleading information on social media, warning of potential panic and reputational harm. They warned that strict legal action would be taken against those circulating false information or rumors.