Police Fact-Checks ‘Zombie Drug’ Buzz After Man Was Seen Motionless On Maharashtra Road

Last Updated:April 21, 2026, 13:52 IST

Taking note of the viral video, the crime detection branch traced the person and verified claims made on social media that he was under the influence of the alleged "zombie drug".

The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday categorically rejected the claims around a viral video showing a man in a disoriented state on the road due to consuming “zombie drugs", saying the person had taken an overdose of Pregabalin, a medicine used to treat nerve pain.

On April 15, a video surfaced on social media platforms showing a man standing in a strange posture on a public road in Mira-Bhayander in Thane. Claims circulated along with the video said that the man was under the influence of a “zombie drug."

Taking note of the viral video, the crime detection branch traced the person and verified claims made on social media that he was under the influence of the alleged “zombie drug", the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police said in a release.

“During the investigation, it was found that the video was recorded at around 10 pm on April 13 and the person seen in the footage was identified as Sameer Rajendra Rawal (22), a labourer hailing from Achham district in Nepal and currently living on a footpath outside Borivali Railway Station in Mumbai," the police said.

The man was traced to a road in Bhayander on April 17. During questioning, he disclosed that he had come from Nepal last month in search of work and had been addicted to consuming Pregabalin tablets for the last two years.

“He informed that he used to purchase a strip of 10 tablets for Rs 100 and consume them for intoxication," it said.

According to the police, the man procured the tablets from a medical shop in Navghar without any prescription. On April 13, he consumed five Pregabalin tablets at once. Subsequently, while walking in the Bhayander area, he felt dizzy and was unable to move, which left him standing in one place, the police said.

“It has been established that the incident occurred due to excessive consumption of Pregabalin, which is a Schedule-H drug used for nerve pain. No substance such as a ‘zombie drug’ was involved," they said.

A team, along with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), inspected the medical shop from where the tablets were procured. It was found that the shopkeeper had left the area after the video went viral.

(With inputs from agencies)

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