Google Mapping Team Thrashed In UP Village Over Theft Suspicion

A team working for Google Maps was allegedly assaulted by villagers in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on August 28th after being mistaken for thieves. The team was mapping the area using a vehicle fitted with cameras when the incident occurred.

The team were capturing street-level images to update Google Maps when some locals grew suspicious of their equipment. Mistaking the vehicle and cameras for tools used by criminals, a group of villagers blocked their path and questioned them, and soon the situation escalated into violence. The team members were reportedly beaten by the mob before police arrived and brought the situation under control. Both the villagers and the survey team were taken to the local police station for questioning.

Sandeep, the team lead, explained that the group was conducting an official mapping project with valid permits from both state and central authorities. “The villagers thought we were suspicious. If they had seen our documents, they would have understood our work,” he said, as quoted by India Today.

Local residents said they had been on high alert due to a recent rise in thefts in the area, which led to the misunderstanding. Kanpur police confirmed the incident and said that officers responded quickly to de-escalate the situation. “The mapping team was verified on the spot. The villagers have been pacified and dispersed peacefully. There is no law-and-order issue at the moment,” a police statement said.