Gwalior mobile snatcher falsely portrayed as ‘Muslim man posing as Hindu’ in viral posts

A video circulating on social media platforms has been identified as a misrepresentation of a criminal incident in Gwalior, India. The footage, which shows two women confronting and slapping a man wearing a saffron scarf, has been widely shared with claims that it depicts a Muslim man masquerading as a Hindu to stalk college students. According to an investigation by Alt News, these claims are false and serve to incite communal tensions.

Local authorities and reporting indicate that the individual in the video was actually involved in a mobile snatching incident. The man was apprehended by bystanders after allegedly attempting to steal a phone from a student. The use of the saffron scarf, which became a focal point for online speculation regarding the man's religious identity, was not linked to any religious posturing or stalking campaign as suggested by viral posts.

Fact-checkers have noted that such misattributions are part of a broader trend of using unrelated or contextually stripped videos to promote communal narratives on social media. By verifying the nature of the altercation as a standard criminal matter, the report highlights the importance of cross-referencing viral content with local police reports before drawing conclusions about the motivations of those involved.