Late into Wednesday night, friends, well-wishers and relatives kept calling Deputy Superintendent of Police Satya Thapa of the Area Police Office in Chandranigahapur in Rautahat district with the same question: “Was the police vehicle really torched? Did protests break out there too?”

Thapa spent much of the day answering calls and clarifying that the video circulating online was old footage and unrelated to any recent incident. The episode in Chandranigahapur showed how the race for views and virality on social media can quickly become a threat to public order and security, particularly during periods of heightened tension.

Following the Dewanganj incident, an old video was falsely presented as a recent event, creating confusion and fear among the public throughout the day. The District Police Office in Gaur later issued a statement urging people not to spread misinformation.

At a time when protests and demonstrations have been reported in various parts of the country, unrelated and misleading visuals have increasingly been circulated on social media, fuelling panic and uncertainty among the public.

A video showing a police van engulfed in flames recently went viral on Facebook and other platforms. Users sharing the footage falsely claimed that protesters had set fire to a police vehicle on the streets of Chandranigahapur as part of the ongoing demonstrations.

Driven by the pursuit of likes, comments and shares, many users circulated the video without verifying its authenticity. Within hours, the misleading posts created fear and confusion among residents.

The viral video was not from a recent incident. It showed an event that took place on September 9 during the Gen Z protests last year in front of the Area Police Office in Chandranigahapur. DSP Thapa said the old footage was edited or falsely presented as a current event in an attempt to mislead the public.

The District Police Office said it had taken serious note of the incident, warning that the spread of such misinformation could undermine social harmony in the district.

DSP Basanta Gautam said the police issued the statement to clarify the facts and prevent the situation from escalating or creating unnecessary fear among residents. Police said they were closely monitoring individuals attempting to spread false or misleading content with the intention of creating unrest.

The incident has highlighted the growing misuse of social media and the risks posed by the rapid spread of unverified information during periods of tension and uncertainty.

Finance Minister of Madhesh Province Yubraj Bhattarai also urged people not to share unverified videos or information on social media.

“During the Gen Z movement, sharing old videos of a police vehicle being burned as if they are current events and attempting to disturb social harmony is unacceptable,” he wrote on social media. “Only information based on facts should be shared.”