Bengaluru police arrest man for sharing ‘zombie drug’ video, clarify that there was no drug use

Bengaluru police arrest Hemanth Kumar for sharing a misleading 'zombie drug' video; clarify no drug use involved.

The Bengaluru police have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly sharing a video which had triggered a public discussion over the alleged use of “zombie drugs” by him.

The accused has been identified as Hemanth Kumar, 29, a resident of north Bengaluru working as a field executive in a private opticals company. Kumar told the police that the video was shot near a private educational institution in northeast Bengaluru.

In the purported video, a man is seen standing by the road trying to move his body but appearing unsteady. The same video was circulated on social media, with many commenting that the person was under the influence of what is called “zombie drugs”.

The video had also triggered discussions online over the alleged entry of zombie drugs into the city, raising concerns. However, on Thursday (April 9), the Bengaluru city police clarified that the man seen in the video was not under the influence of any drugs.

“We tracked the individual and made him undergo medical tests. The results revealed that he had consumed alcohol along with medication prescribed for arthritis and sinus-related issues, which likely caused his condition,” the police said.

A senior police officer told The Hindu that they then tracked the person who first shared the video and found it to be Kumar. In a clarification video, Kumar has issued an apology for sharing content with misinformation.