A fight over customers at two chaat stalls in Uttar Pradesh became one of the internet's most recognisable street-brawl videos in 2021.
The incident took place in Baghpat's Baraut area. What began as a dispute between rival chaat sellers escalated into a physical fight involving sticks and iron rods.
Then the video spread online.
One man in particular became the face of the incident. Harendra Singh, whose bright orange henna-dyed hair stood out in the footage, was nicknamed “Einstein Chacha” by social media users.
Five years later, Baghpat is back in the news after a separate fight in neighbouring Hapur over chutney was compared online with the old incident.
So, what exactly happened in the original “Battle of Baghpat”?
First, What Happened In Hapur?
Before going back to 2021, here is why the old incident is trending again.
On 27 September 2026, a fight broke out in Dehra, Hapur, after a group reportedly objected to being served tamarind chutney instead of green chutney with bread pakoras.
According to NDTV, the dispute escalated into a fight involving bats, stones, belts and a large iron strainer. Four people were injured.
A video of the incident circulated online.
Hapur Circle Officer Munish Chandra said police had received information about the brawl and were identifying those involved from the video. Medical examinations of the injured were also being conducted, with legal action to follow.
The incident was soon dubbed “Battle of Baghpat 2.0” by social media users.
But the two incidents are separate.
The Original Battle Of Baghpat
The original fight took place on 22 February 2021 in Baraut, Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh.
It involved two rival chaat vendors, Shiv Chaat Bhandar and Nav Durga Chaat Bhandar, on Atithi Bhawan street.
According to reports from the time, the dispute centred on customers.
The rivalry between the two stalls escalated into a fight on the road. Videos showed several people attacking each other with sticks and iron rods.
A local journalist who was recording the incident was also reportedly hit on the hand with a rod. The footage captured the confrontation and later became viral.
The fight reportedly lasted around 20 minutes.
What Was The Fight About?
The central issue was not a disagreement over a particular plate of chaat.
Reports at the time described a rivalry between the two shops over attracting customers.
The two businesses were located close to each other and sold similar food. Accounts reported that people working at the stalls tried to pull customers towards their respective shops.
Harendra Singh later spoke about the dispute and claimed that people from the rival shop were trying to take away his customers.
Those comments were his account of the dispute and should not be treated as an independently established finding.
What is clear from the police case and the footage is that the disagreement escalated into violence.
Then Came ‘Einstein Chacha’
As the video spread, one participant became particularly recognisable.
Harendra Singh was seen with bright orange, henna-dyed hair during the fight.
Social media users compared his appearance with Albert Einstein and gave him the nickname “Einstein Chacha”.
His animated presence in the footage made him the most recognisable figure from the incident. The fight itself became a recurring meme, with the video repeatedly resurfacing on social media.
The incident even returned to social media years later, with users marking its anniversary and reposting the original footage.
What Did Police Do?
The viral video was followed by police action.
Eight people from the two sides were arrested after complaints were filed in connection with the clash. Reports at the time said those arrested faced serious criminal charges, including attempt to murder.
The arrests are an important part of the original story.
While the internet remembered the incident through memes and the “Einstein Chacha” nickname, the underlying event involved physical violence, injuries, complaints and a criminal investigation.
Where Is Einstein Chacha Now?
Harendra Singh recently returned to the internet's attention.
A video surfaced in September 2026 showing him at what appeared to be an office or government facility. He was seen waiting in a queue before approaching a counter.
The video revived memories of the 2021 fight, with social media users recognising him as the man who became “Einstein Chacha”.
The renewed attention came shortly before the Hapur fight was reported.
That is why two separate incidents, five years apart, are now being discussed together.
Baghpat And Hapur Are Two Different Stories
The comparison between the incidents comes mainly from their setting and how the videos spread.
The 2021 Baghpat clash involved rival chaat sellers and a dispute linked to customers.
The 2026 Hapur fight reportedly began after a disagreement over green versus tamarind chutney at a pakora shop.
They involve different people, different locations and different circumstances.
What connects them is the combination of a food-shop dispute, a public brawl and a video that quickly became a talking point online.
And that is how a five-year-old chaat fight in Baghpat has found its way back into the news.
TL;DR | News At a Glance
What was the Battle of Baghpat?
It was a 2021 clash between rival chaat sellers in Baraut, Baghpat, reportedly linked to a dispute over attracting customers.
When did the Baghpat fight happen?
The incident took place on 22 February 2021.
Who was Einstein Chacha?
Harendra Singh was a participant in the viral fight whose orange, henna-dyed hair led social media users to nickname him “Einstein Chacha”.
What did police do after the fight?
Eight people from the two sides were arrested, with reports stating that they faced serious charges including attempt to murder.
Why is the Battle of Baghpat trending again in 2026?
A separate fight in Hapur over green versus tamarind chutney was compared online with the 2021 Baghpat clash. Harendra Singh also recently resurfaced in a viral video.
