Police drill video falsely presented as arrests for deadly India bombing

At least seven individuals have been detained in connection with the November 10, 2025, car bombing in Delhi, India. However, a widely circulated online video showing two men being led away by police is not linked to the arrests, but instead depicts a police training drill.

A local law enforcement official informed AFP that multiple drills have been conducted in Mumbai as authorities increase security at critical locations nationwide in the aftermath of the attack.

One Instagram video, published on November 17, shows officers escorting two men with their hands behind their heads toward a vehicle while bystanders observe. Overlaid text in Hindi reads: "Two terrorists arrested in Lokhandwala, Mumbai. Kamdhenu Building 15/11/2025." The post's caption reiterates this location information.

This footage was shared in various posts across Instagram and X amid the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) ongoing probe into the Delhi bombing, which killed at least 12 people and injured 30 others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the explosion as a "conspiracy" and promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Following the attack, multiple Indian states increased security measures, particularly at airports, metro stations, and railway hubs. The NIA has apprehended a minimum of seven suspects related to the bombing.

Inspector Prabhat Mankar of the Oshiwara Police in northern Mumbai clarified to AFP on November 21 that the video originated from a training exercise conducted on November 15 near the Kamdhenu building in the Lokhandwala neighborhood. Similar drills have been carried out in Mumbai following the Delhi incident.

Reverse image searches using frames from the video confirmed that other media outlets have also disproved the false claim linking the footage to actual arrests.

AFP has previously addressed additional false reports concerning the November 10 attack.

Author: Sophia Brooks