UP Man Scanned With Phone In Viral Video, Family Recounts What Cops Said

The Uttar Pradesh Police have come under sharp criticism and widespread ridicule on social media after a video from Ghaziabad, near Delhi, went viral showing a policeman appearing to "scan" people by touching their backs with a mobile phone, resembling the use of a supermarket barcode scanner.

The visuals emerged during a citizenship verification drive conducted by the local police and triggered intense debate online over the methods and sensitivity of the exercise.

The video shows a police official holding a mobile phone close to the back of a person, prompting social media users to mock the act and question whether any such technology exists. Several users described the scene as humiliating and unscientific, while others demanded an official explanation from the Uttar Pradesh Police.

NDTV spoke to Roshni Khatun, who is the man's sister-in-law and was also seen in the viral clip, to understand what transpired during the verification drive. She said police personnel, led by the local Station House Officer (SHO), visited her locality on December 23 and arrived in a detention vehicle.

"They asked us to show our documents for verification. We showed our Aadhaar cards and other legal documents," she said.

Roshni alleged that the police officials jokingly claimed they had brought a machine that could identify whether a person was Bangladeshi.

"There was no machine. They touched the back of my brother-in-law with their hands while holding the phone. Nobody threatened or abused us," she added.

Roshni said her family has been living in the area since 1986 and originally belongs to Araria district in Bihar.

Her mother-in-law, Rabila, corroborated the account, stating that the police told residents that a scan on the back would immediately reveal if a person was from Bangladesh.

"We had all our documents. After seeing them, the police left," she said.

Rabila further said that two such verification drives have been conducted in the area in recent days. On both occasions, police personnel asked residents to produce documents and left after completing the checks.

The Ghaziabad police are yet to issue an official clarification on the viral video and the conduct of the personnel involved.