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An edited ‘B Tv News’ screenshot is shared as Puneeth Kerehalli arrested in a recent prostitution case - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Puneeth Kerehalli has been arrested along with C.R. Madhu and Rubel Mondal in a prostitution case. Puneeth Kerehalli is a Hindu activist from Karnataka. The post has a ‘B Tv News’ screenshot and a couple of photos related to an FIR. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim:‘B Tv News’ about Puneeth Kerehalli’s arrest along with C.R. Madhu and Rubel Mondal in a prostitution case.
Fact: The posted screenshot of ‘B Tv News’ is an edited one. The name and picture of Raffiqull Islam in the original ‘B Tv News’ photo has been replaced with Puneeth Kerehalli. The posted FIR copy is related to an incident in 2013, not any recent incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the posted screenshot of ‘B Tv News’ was run through Google Reverse Image Search, a similar photo can be found in the search results. However, it can be seen that the photo posted by ‘B Tv News’ does not have the picture of Puneeth Kerehalli. The name and picture of Raffiqull Islam in the original ‘B Tv News’ photo has been replaced with Puneeth Kerehalli.
According to news reports, three people (C.R. Madhu, Raffiqull Islam, and Rubel Mondal) accused of running a prostitution racket were arrested in Bengaluru last month. Some of those news reports can be read here, here, here, and here. There is no mention of Puneeth Kerehalli in that case.
In other photos in the post, it can be seen that the posted FIR copy is related to an incident in 2013, not any recent incident. So, it is not related to any recent prostitution cases. Puneeth Kerehalli posted them on Facebook saying terming them ‘fake’, and that the 2013 incident is a false case. Some of the recent posts made by Puneeth Kerehalli can be seen here, here, and here. The audio of an alleged phone conversation between Puneeth Kerehalli and Bharath Shetty is also going viral on social media which can be heard here.
To sum it up, an edited ‘B Tv News’ screenshot is shared as Puneeth Kerehalli arrested in a recent prostitution case.


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రజనీకాంత్ వ్యాఖ్యలపై పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ స్పందించారు అని ఒక ఎడిట్ చేసిన way2news గ్రాఫిక్ టెంప్లేట్ షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 23, 2023
రజనీకాంత్ జైలర్ ఆడియో లాంచ్ రోజున ‘అర్ధం అయ్యిందా రాజా’ అని అన్న మాటల్ని, తమిళ సినీ పరిశ్రమపై పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ చేసిన వ్యాఖలపై స్పందిస్తూ అన్నవని సోషల్ మీడియాలో ప్రచారం అవుతున్న నేపథ్యంలో, పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ రజని అన్న మాటలకి స్పందించారని way2news వారి గ్రాఫిక్ ఒకటి సోషల్ మీడియాలో షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు.  ఇందులోని నిజానిజాలు ఏంటో ఈ ఆర్టికల్ ద్వారా చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: ఈ way2news గ్రాఫిక్, జైలర్ ఆడియో ఫంక్షన్లో రజనీకాంత్ చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలపై పవన్ కళ్యాణ్  స్పందించిన వార్తను చూపుతుంది.
ఫాక్ట్(నిజం):  ఈ way2news గ్రాఫిక్ మార్ఫ్/ఎడిట్ చెయ్యబడింది. ఈ గ్రాఫిక్ పైన ఉన్న లింక్ (way2.co/d3k3fa) ‘లిస్ట్-A క్రికెట్‌లో అత్యధిక స్కోరు చేసిన బ్యాటర్లు’ అనే వార్తా కథనానికి చెందినది. కావున పోస్టులో చేస్తున్న క్లెయిమ్ తప్పు.
way2Newsలో ఈ వార్తా కథనం వచ్చిందా లేదా అని వెరిఫై చెయ్యటానికి ఈ గ్రాఫిక్ పైన ఉన్న url / వెబ్ అడ్రస్ (లింక్) ‘way2.co/d3k3fa’ని గూగుల్ క్రోమ్ URL బార్‌లో  టైపు చేసి చూడగా,  ‘లిస్ట్-A క్రికెట్‌లో అత్యధిక స్కోరు చేసిన బ్యాటర్లు అనే హెడ్లైన్ ఉన్న Way2newsలో వచ్చిన ఒక వార్తా కథనం లభించింది. ఈ కథనం పబ్లిష్ చేసిన సమయం ఇంకా రోజు, వైరల్ గ్రాఫిక్ పైన ఉన్న వాటితో సరిపోయితున్నాయి.
సహజంగా way2news వారి కథనాలపైన ఆ కథనానికి చెందిన వెబ్ అడ్రెస్స్ యొక్క టెక్స్ట్ ఉంటుంది. ఉదాహరణకి రష్యా లూనార్ లాండర్ లూనా-25 క్రాష్ లాండింగ్ పైన  way2newsలో వచ్చిన కథనంపైన ఉన్న url- ‘way2.co/s338pp’ ni అడ్రస్ బార్‌లో సెర్చ్ చేసి చూడగా, ఇదే కథనం వచ్చింది. ఇలాగే SIIMA 2023: ఉత్తమ కమెడియన్స్ నామినేషన్స్ మీద వచ్చిన కథనం యొక్క urlని కూడా ఇలా సెర్చ్ చేసి వెతికాము. దీన్ని బట్టి మనకి వైరల్ గ్రాఫిక్ ఎడిట్ చేయబడినది అని స్పష్టం అవుతోంది.
అదనంగా, రజనీకాంత్ చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలపై పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ ఏమైనా స్పందించారా అని ఇంటర్నెట్లో తగిన కీ వర్డ్స్ ఉపయోగించి చూడగా, దీన్ని రుజువు చెయ్యటానికి మాకు ఎటువంటి ఆధారాలు లభించలేదు.
చివరిగా, రజనీకాంత్ వ్యాఖలపై పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ స్పందించారు అని ఒక ఎడిట్ చేసిన way2news గ్రాఫిక్ టెంప్లేట్ షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు.

source: news-factly

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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An edited image is being shared as the aerial view of heart-shaped Venice city - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 5, 2022
A heart-shaped image of a city is being shared widely on social media claiming that it’s an aerial view of the city of Venice. A twitter user also posted the same image on 30 June 2022 with the title – “ Venice, Italy”. This tweet has over 298K likes and 26K retweets. The same image was shared previously on various social media platforms by different users. Let us fact-check the claim.
Claim: Aerial view of heart-shaped Venice city.
Fact: The original image is mirrored and then edited to look like a heart-shaped city. Hence the claim is FALSE.
Upon careful inspection of the image, it is evident that all the elements on both left and right sides of the image like boats, structures, tomb etc. resemble each other.
On reverse image search, we found that the image was originally posted on Instagram by “Lennart Pagel Photography” on 14 February 2021.
Upon looking at the satellite images of Venice city, We can conclude that Venice is not a heart shaped city.
To sum it up, the viral heart-shaped image of Venice city is just a mirrored image and not a real one.


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An edited image is being shared to falsely claim that Rohit Sharma’s catch in the World Cup final was not clean - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 22, 2023
A screengrab of the 2023 Mens Cricket World Cup final where Australian cricketer Travis Head takes Rohit Sharma’s catch is being shared on social media. This visual shows the ball touching the ground. It is being claimed that the catch was not clean. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Rohit Sharma’s catch by Travis Head in the 2023 World Cup final was not clean.
Fact: The original footage confirms that the catch was clean, and the ball did not touch the ground. The viral photo is manipulated. Therefore, the claim in the post is False.
To verify the viral claim, we closely examined the catch of Rohit Sharma taken by Travis Head in the replay of the Cricket World Cup final available on Disney+ Hotstar. This revealed that Travis Head did not drop the catch, contradicting the assertion in the viral post.
Additionally, the International Cricket Council (ICC) posted the video of the catch on Instagram, providing another angle to scrutinise. In both the Hotstar footage and the ICC video, it is evident that the catch was clean, and at no point did the ball touch the ground.
A post shared by ICC (@icc)
This makes it clear that the viral photo was edited to make it look like Travis Head took an unclean catch, where the ball was touching the ground.
To sum up, the claim that Rohit Sharma’s catch by Travis Head in the World Cup final was not a clean catch is untrue. The viral photo in circulation is morphed.

created: November 22, 2023


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An edited photo created by a digital artist is falsely shared as a photo of ‘Wolf Mountain’ in Norway - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 24, 2021
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the Wolf Mountain in Norway. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of the Wolf Mountain in Norway.
Fact: It is an edited photo. The Segla mountain in Norway has been edited to look like a rock formation in the shape of the wolf howling at the moon. The digital artist – Michelle von Kalben has also clarified to FACTLY that it is an edited photo created by her. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the posted photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found to be posted by a Facebook page – ‘Launch Dsigns’. In the description of the photo, it was written – ‘Art by @michellevonkalben’. So, when searched for the given profile, the photo was found to be uploaded by ‘michellevonkalben’ profile on Instagram. Michelle von Kalben is a digital artist. She has posted the same photo on her profile on 13 March 2021 and wrote – ‘I changed the shape of the mountain a little so that it would look more like a wolf to create a more unique and magical scene.’
When FACTLY contacted Michelle von Kalben for further clarification, she has sent us the original version of the photo. The differences between the original and edited versions can be observed below:
So, the Segla mountain in Norway has been edited to look like a rock formation in the shape of the wolf howling at the moon. Other photos of the Segla mountain can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, an edited photo created by a digital artist is falsely shared as a photo of ‘Wolf Mountain’ in Norway.


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An edited photo is being falsely shared as ‘India flag waved at a rally in Pakistan’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2020
A photo is being shared widely on social media with the claim that India flag was waved at a rally in Karachi (Pakistan). The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, held a rally against the government in Karachi (Pakistan) recently. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo shows an India flag being waved at a rally in Karachi (Pakistan).
Fact: It is an edited photo. In the original photo, there is no India flag. Similar looking flags in the photo show the flag of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (Pakistan). Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched with the keywords on the internet, an uncropped version of the posted photo was found to be tweeted by the official Twitter handle of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). In the photo, it can be observed that there is no India flag in the highlighted area.
But there are some flags in the photo with the colour combination of red-white-green. On looking at the other photos and videos of the rally, it was found that those are the flags of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (Pakistan). Some other Pakistan political party flags with a similar colour combination can be found here.
To sum it up, an edited photo is being falsely shared as ‘India flag waved at a rally in Pakistan’.

created: October 21, 2020


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An edited photo is being shared as Smriti Irani in a belly dancer attire - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2024
A photo of Union Minister, Smriti Irani in the attire of a belly dancer is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the authenticity of the claim.
Claim: A photo of Union Minister, Smriti Irani dressed as a belly dancer.
Fact: This is an edited photo. The original photo is found in the photo gallery of Exelsior Hotel on Tripadvisor’s website. While the original photo is in colour and the face of the woman in the image is different, the one being shared is a black-and-white image with the dancer’s face edited with Smriti Irani’s face. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
A reverse image search on the viral photo led us to the original photo published on Tripadvisor’s website. The details on the website state that the photo shows a belly dancer on a Turkish BBQ night captured at Club Exelsior, Marmaris.
The original photo is in colour with a belly dancer in green attire, however, the edited photo is a black-and-white image with the dancer’s face replaced with Smriti Irani’s face. The difference between the photos can be seen below.
To sum it up, this photo of Smriti Irani in a belly dancer attire is edited.


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An edited photo is falsely shared as a long straight road turned just to save a tree - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 5, 2022
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that a contractor has turned a long straight road just to save a tree. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The photo shows a long straight road which is turned just to save a tree.
Fact: It is an edited photo. In the original photo, there is neither a tree in the middle nor the straight road is turned. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found to be viral on the internet for a long time. However, in 2020, a thread debunking the same photo can be found on the ‘Stack Exchange’ website. In the thread, it can be read that the photo has been heavily edited.
The original photo with the same vehicles and similar rocks can be found on the ‘Getty Images’ website. Another photo of the same location with the same vehicles can be seen here.
To sum it up, an edited photo is falsely shared as a long straight road turned just to save a tree.


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An edited photo is falsely shared as an amazing picture of a golden snake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 3, 2022
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is an amazing real picture of a golden snake. Sharing the photo, this post asks people to see the golden snake on Naga Panchami to have good fortune. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Amazing picture of a golden snake.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an edited picture created using digital tools. This golden snake photo was created by a Brazil-based designer named Mandrak. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘Wafflesatnoon’ website in December 2015. ‘Wafflesatnoon’ confirmed it as a digitally edited picture by crediting the photo to a designer named Mandrak.
When we searched for further details using relevant keywords on the internet, we found the same photo on the ‘Design Crowd’ website. This photo was published by Mandrak, a Brazil-based designer,  as part of the ‘Alternate Materials: Gold’, a photoshop community contest held by the ‘Design Crowd’ website. As part of this contest, participants were asked to convert any ordinary image into pure gold. This golden snake photo designed by Mandrak was ranked the second in the competition. The official portfolio of Mandrak published on the ‘Design Crowd’ website can be seen here. Mandrak published the same photo with the title, “Photoshop Submission for ‘Alternate Materials: Gold’ Contest | Design 8967763”.
The original picture from which this design was created can be seen here. Although there are a few reptile species that exist in golden colour, the photo shared in the post is an edited picture and does not show a real picture of a golden snake.
To sum it up, an edited photo is falsely shared as an amazing picture of a golden snake.

created: August 3, 2022


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An edited photo is falsely shared as ‘Helicopter showering flower petals on the walking migrant workers’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2020
A photo is being widely shared on social media with a claim that it shows a helicopter showering flower petals on the migrant workers walking back to their hometowns. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo of helicopter showering flower petals on the walking migrant workers.
Fact: The photo is an edited one. Two different photos are clubbed to show that petals are being showered on the walking migrant workers. While the helicopter photo was taken in 2018, the migrant workers walking photo was taken in March 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the photo, the differences in the sky can be clearly seen. When the helicopter part was cropped and ran through the Yandex Reverse Image Search, it was found in ‘The Seattle Times’ article published in 2018. In the description, it can be read that the photo was taken during the Republic Day parade in 2018. The same photo can be also found on the ‘AP Images’ website.
On cropping the migrants part and running it through Google Reverse Image Search, the photo was found in ‘The Statesman’ article published in March 2020. In the description, it can be read that the photo was taken in Faridabad on 27 March 2020. The photo can be also found on the ‘Getty Images’ website. The armed forces showered flower petals on 03 May 2020 to salute corona warriors, the frontline health workers.
To sum it up, an edited photo is falsely shared as ‘Helicopter showering flower petals on the walking migrant workers’.
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An edited photo is falsely shared as the Koneswaram temple in Sri Lanka - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 21, 2020
Photo of a temple located on the narrow vertical island is being shared on social media claiming it as the Koneswaram temple located at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of Koneswaram temple located on a narrow island in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
Fact: It is an edited photo. The island in the photo located in Ao Phang Nga National Park in Thailand. Unrelated pictures of a temple, devotees and this island are edited and shared as the Koneswaram temple in Sri Lanka. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On searching ‘Koneswaram temple in Sri Lanka’ on Google, we found both the outside and inside view of Koneswaram temple in ‘All About Sri Lanka’ website. We also found a video on YouTube, showcasing the overall view of Koneswaram Temple located at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. In both these sources, Koneswaram temple outside view is not the same as shown in the post.
On observing the Google Earth view of Koneswaram temple, we can conclude that the temple in the photo is not Koneswaram temple belonging to Sri Lanka, since this temple is not surrounded by water on all sides.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo of an island was found in ‘Alamy’ website. In the website, it is mentioned as the island located in Ao Phang Nga National Park in Thailand. A similar photo of the island found in ‘TripAdvisor’ website, mentioning as the island in Ao Phang Nga National Park.
To sum it up, an edited photo is falsely shared as the Koneswaram temple in Sri Lanka.
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An edited photo is falsely shared as the visual of a two-headed white snake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 9, 2022
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a two-headed white snake. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a two-headed white snake.
Fact: It is an edited one. In the original photo, the snake has only one head. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, a similar photo was found to be uploaded on multiple websites. The official Twitter account of ‘Animal Planet India’ tweeted the original version of the photo in 2016. In the original version, it can be seen that the snake has only one head. The original head has been copied and shown as a second head. So, the posted photo is an edited one.
However, the real visuals of a two-headed snake can be seen here.
Previously, FACTLY has also debunked another post where it was claimed that the photo shows a four-headed snake. The fact-check article can be found here.
To sum it up, an edited photo is falsely shared as the visual of a two-headed white snake.


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An edited photo of Pakistani politician Fazal-Ul-Rehman is viral on social media with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 23, 2023
A photo of a man in Islamic attire sitting in a plane with an alcohol bottle on his food tray is being shared on social media. The post’s description reads, ‘Molvi Diesel enjoying scotch whisky Black Label.’ Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.’
Claim: Photo of a Maulvi enjoying whiskey in an aeroplane.
Fact: This is an edited image. The original image does not contain a whiskey bottle and a glass on the food tray.  The person seen in this photo is Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rehman, a Pakistani politician. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more about the viral photo and to check its veracity, we performed a reverse image search of it on the internet. This search led us to a few social media posts (here, here, and here) that contained the same image without the alcohol bottle and the glass.
Through the same search, we learned that the person in this photo is a Pakistani politician named Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rehman. He is the head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (Fazl), an Islamic political party (as described by ‘The Print’)
It is evident from these photos that the viral photo has been morphed by digitally adding a liquor bottle and a glass to the tray table. AFP Fact Check also debunked the same photo in the past. Additionally, they found that the aeroplane seen in this photo is identical to the interior of an aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabian airline Saudia. They further emphasise the fact that the airline does not serve alcohol on board.
To sum up, this photo of Maulana Fazal-Ul-Rehman sitting in a plane with a liquor bottle in his food tray is edited.


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An edited photo of Yogi Adtyanath is shared as the visuals of him watching Pathaan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 6, 2023
A social media post shares a video clip of the UP CM Yogi Adityanath allegedly watching the movie ‘Pathaan’. This video surfaced on the internet after the release and success of the film ‘Pathaan’ at the box office. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals of Yogi Adityanath watching ‘Pathaan’.
Fact: The viral video is digitally created using a photo of Yogi Adityanath watching the FIFA world cup. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To learn more details about the viral clip, we ran a reverse image search on a few keyframes of the video using the InVID tool. This led us to a news article published by ABPlive on 18 December 2022.
Reportedly, CM Yogi shared a picture of him watching the FIFA World Cup final on his Twitter handle. You can watch this photo here. The viral video was created using the same photo by replacing the football match visuals on TV with a song from the movie Pathaan.
#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/YnO6RbxS4W
An edited photo of Yogi Adtyanath is shared as the visuals of him watching the movie ‘Pathaan’.

created: February 6, 2023


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An edited photo shared as Pakistan people holding a banner - 'We don't want Kashmir. Give us Hydroxychloroquine' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2020
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Pakistan people are holding a banner with the text – ‘We don’t want Kashmir. Give us Hydroxychloroquine’. FACTLY has found that it is an edited photo. In the original picture, it can be seen that the people are holding a banner with the text – ‘We want Azaadi’. Also, the photo was taken in Kashmir. When the similar edited image went viral in another context, FACTLY has written a fact-check article, which can be read here.
There are some media reports claiming that Pakistan has asked India for Hydroxychloroquine supplies, which can be read here and here. FACTLY could not independently verify the claim.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. News Article – https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kashmir-unrest-youth-raise-pro-pakistan-slogans-burhan-wani-333919-2016-08-08
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An edited rock photo falsely shared as a floating rock in Saudi Arabia that never touches the ground - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 18, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows a rock in Saudi Arabia that is floating in the air and defying gravity. It is being claimed that the rock never touches the ground even if someone places tons of weight on it. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a floating rock in Saudi Arabia that never touches the ground.
Fact: It is an edited photo. The rock is in Saudi Arabia but it is connected to the ground through very small pillar-like structures and appears to be floating. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched regarding the rock on the internet with the keywords, many videos related to the rock were found in the search results. Those videos can be seen here, here, and here. In the videos, it can be seen that the rock is touching the ground. However, the rock is connected to the ground through very small pillar-like structures and appears to be floating. Those small pillar-like connections are edited out in the posted photo so that the rock looks completely floating in the air.
The rock is in Saudi Arabia and can be found on Google Maps with the name – ‘Floating Rock’. When the same photo went viral previously in 2019 as the floating rock in Jerusalem, ‘AFP’ has also debunked the claim.
To sum it up, an edited rock photo falsely shared as a floating rock in Saudi Arabia that never touches the ground.


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An edited version of special effect videos portrayed as the beautiful light show in Rajasthan. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 19, 2020
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the beautiful light show exhibition at Jodhpur city in Rajasthan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Light show at Jodhpur city in Rajasthan.
Fact: This video shows a group of special effect videos designed by a Chinese special effect designer Long Yichen. This video has nothing to do with the Jodhpur city in Rajasthan. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the video carefully, we could see a logo getting visualised frequently in the video. On translating words on the logo, results show ‘special effects Long Yichen’. On reverse image search of screenshots in the video using these keywords, videos with similar visuals were found in the official channel of Long Yichen in ‘ixigua’ website. We could see the same visuals of the video posted on the thumbnails of Long Yichen collection.  Long Yichen is a china based special effects creator. Video in the post shows a collage of his special effect videos collection. Few other videos of Long Yichen were also found in another Chinese website.
Earlier, when another video related to a light show in China was shared as the light show in Rajasthan, FACTLY debunked the same and the fact-check can be read here.
To sum it up, an edited version of the special effect videos is being shared as the beautiful light show in Rajasthan.

created: November 19, 2020


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An edited video falsely claims that eating bananas can prevent COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 5, 2021
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that eating bananas can prevent COVID-19. The posted video shows a news report which talks about the research by scientists at the University of Queensland. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a news report that talks about the research that eating bananas can prevent COVID-19.
Fact: The posted video is an edited one. Multiple video clips from different sources were combined to make it. On the WHO website, it can be read – ‘There is no single food that will prevent you from catching COVID-19’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On looking at the posted video, it can be observed that multiple clips with different logos are combined to make the video. When the keyframes of the posted video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, the original videos related to the different clips in the posted video were found in the search results. One of the clips in the posted video can be also seen on the Stock videos website.
Clip 1:
The initial part of the posted video was taken from the news report published by ‘ABC News (Australia)’ in January 2020. The original video talks about scientists at the University of Queensland trying to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The video does not mention bananas preventing COVID-19.
Clip 2:
Another clip in the posted video is taken from the video published by ‘Herbs cures’ on YouTube in March 2020. The logo ‘Herb cures’ can be seen in the posted video. The video just lists the benefits of bananas. It does not claim that bananas can prevent COVID-19.
Clip 3:
The clip with the ‘WSJ’ logo is taken from the video published by ‘Wall Street Journal (WSJ)’ in February 2020 with the title – ‘How Scientists Are Trying to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine’. This video also does not claim that bananas can prevent COVID-19.
When the same claim went viral in March 2020, ‘Faheem Younus, MD’ has tweeted – ‘Bananas are a fine fruit and garlic is a fine vegetable. But no. There are no clinical trials to suggest they have anti-coronavirus activity.’
5/10: Does garlic cure COVID-19? Bananas? Vitamin-C?
Bananas are a fine fruit and garlic is a fine vegetable. But no. There are no clinical trials to suggest they have anti-coronavirus activity. Vitamin-C Is not even a fruit or a vegetable!
Also, on the WHO website, it can be read – ‘There is no single food that will prevent you from catching COVID-19’.
To sum it up, an edited video is being falsely shared with the claim that eating bananas can prevent COVID-19.


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An edited video falsely shared as a video of ‘Baby born with three eyes’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 22, 2020
A video of a baby with three eyes is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a baby born with three eyes in Germany. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of the baby born with three eyes.
Fact: The posted video is an edited one. Using the editing software, the left eye of the baby is copied and placed as an extra eye on the forehead. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the baby in the video, no information was found about the baby being born with three eyes. If any such three-eyed baby really exists, more videos and images of the baby would have been found on the internet, but no other video or photo was found. Also, on observing the video, it can be seen that the left eye and the eye on the forehead are identical in every frame.
Using the editing software, the left eye of the baby is copied and placed as an extra eye on the forehead. FACTLY has also edited the posted video, using the ‘After Effects’ software, to show the same baby having two eyes in one video and four eyes in the other. Those visuals can be seen below.
Not just three or four eyes, with the help of editing software, any number of eyes can be placed. The process followed in the ‘After Effects’ software can be seen below.
Also, it was found that one of the earliest uploads of the video was on Twitter by a Chinese user on 9 July 2020. It was found that the same user has also posted another edited video of a dinosaur on his account.
To sum it up, an edited video falsely shared as a video of ‘Baby born in with three eyes’.
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An edited video is being shared as Chhattisgarh BJP CM Vishnu Deo Sai supporting Congress's Bhupesh Baghel - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 12, 2024
Recently, a video clip (here, here and here) of the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Vishnu Deo Sai, apparently asking people to vote for Congress Party candidate Bhupesh Baghel, has been circulating on social media. In the video, Sai is heard supporting Baghel, who filed his nomination for the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat from the Congress. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Chhattisgarh BJP CM Vishnu Deo Sai appealed for people to vote for the Congress party Lok Sabha candidate from Rajnandgaon Bhupesh Baghel.
Fact: The video is an edited version of Vishnu Deo Sai’s speech at a political meeting in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh. In the original speech, he was quoting his opposition leader from Congress in Chhattisgarh, Charandas Mahant, who asked people to vote for Bhupesh Baghel in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha Constituency. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the viral claim, we began our investigation by conducting a keyword search to locate speeches in which Vishnu Deo Sai discussed Bhupesh Baghel and his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections. The search directed us to a speech (here, here and here (archive link)) by Sai at a political rally in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, on 3 April 2024.
In this speech (archive link), starting from the 3:15 minute mark, we noticed the portion that is seen in the viral clip. From the 3:07 minute mark, we gained a better understanding of the context of Sai’s comments.
He said, ‘one of our candidates told me that yesterday Bhupesh Baghel had filed a nomination in Rajnandgaon. At a meeting held there, the opposition leader from here, Charandas Mahant told locals to make Bhupesh Baghel win the elections. He is the only person who can hit Modi on his head.’
Considering the full context of Sai’s speech, it is clear that he was not asking people to vote for Bhupesh but rather was quoting another person who had said that. The viral video was strategically edited to imply that he was supporting Baghel by clipping out a few lines from his speech.
In addition, we found (here, here, and here) that an FIR had been registered by the Civil Lines Police Station in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, based on a complaint filed by the BJP in connection with this edited video, which is reportedly under investigation now.
To sum up, the claim that Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai was asking voters to support Bhupesh Baghel in a speech is false. The viral video was taken out of context and edited.


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An edited video is being shared as ‘KGF craze in America’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 24, 2019
A video is being shared by a few Facebook users with the claim ‘KGF craze in America’.  The video shows fans going crazy when Kannada movie ’KGF’ is being played on a big screen. Let’s analyze the authenticity of that claim.
Kannada movie, ‘KGF’ craze in America.
Fact: The video shared as ‘KGF craze in America’ is an edited video of England football fans celebrating their team’s win against Wales.  So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the video in the post was fragmented using ‘Invid’ plugin and those keyframes were subjected to Google reverse image search, many search results of it were obtained. Those search results can be seen here, here and here. All those search results had the same set of audience but the things being played on the big screen were different, one shows a football match, another shows a baseball match and the third search result shows a movie being played on the screen. In the comments section of the post, a user commented that the video is actually that of a football match. With that information, when one goes back to the search result of a football match being shown on the big screen, the description of was- ‘Fans watching Euro 2016 on the big screen at Ashton Gate stadium celebrate Daniel Sturridge’s late winner for England against Wales’.
So, when searched on Google with keywords ‘England fans celebrate win against Wales, Bristol’, the search result of ‘BBC West’ that had a similar video in its Facebook post was found. The information in the post confirms that the original video is that of England football fans celebrating their team’s win against Wales while watching it on the big screen.
To sum it up, an edited video is being shared as ‘KGF craze in America’. The original video shows England football fans at Bristol celebrating their team’s win against Wales.
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created: October 24, 2019


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An edited video is being shared as the visuals of the Russian spacecraft Luna-25’s crash landing on the moon - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 22, 2023
After the fateful crash of the Luna-25 spacecraft (here and here), which occurred after it moved into an unpredictable orbit, a video has surfaced on the internet claiming to be the visuals of the crash. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: A video of the Luna-25 spacecraft crash landing on the moon’s surface.
Fact: The Russian space agency Roscosmos State Space Corporation has not released official footage of the Luna-25 crash landing. Also, the image of the moon seen in the viral video is a screengrab of a 3D model of the moon created by NASA. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly to check if any of the news reports about the Luna-25 spacecraft’s crash landing contained the viral video, we performed a keyword search on the internet. This search did not lead us to any credible sources (except for photos of the moon sent by the spacecraft). The official statement of the Russian space agency also did not include any video.
Furthermore, a reverse image search on Google using a few keyframes from the viral clip revealed that this is a screengrab from a 3D visualisation of the moon created by “NASA science Visualiser Ernie Wright.”
NASA explains the video: ‘ Set to Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, this visualization uses Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data to show the stark beauty of evolving light and shadow near sunrise and sunset on the rugged lunar surface. Music performed by Timothy Michael Hammond, distributed by Killer Tracks.’ The frame that appears at 2:10 sec in this video is the same one that’s in the viral video. The viral video was created using this frame and an additional element that looks like a spacecraft.
To sum up, an unrelated edited video is being shared on social media claiming it to be the visuals that show the crash landing of the Luna-25 spacecraft on the moon’s surface.


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An edited video is shared claiming Amit Shah made a statement about BJP's plan to scrap SC, ST, and OBC reservations - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 30, 2024
Amidst the ongoing 2024 general elections, a video allegedly showing Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah saying “If the Bharatiya Janata Party forms the government, we will end the unconstitutional reservation for SC, ST, and OBC,” is circulating on social media platforms (here, here, and here). Let’s verify the authenticity of this viral video through this article.
Claim: Video showing Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah saying “If the Bharatiya Janata Party forms the government, we will end the unconstitutional reservation for SC, ST, and OBC”.
Fact: This viral video is edited. This viral video shows the visuals of Amit shah delivering a speech during a BJP meeting held in Chevella, Telangana on 23 April 2023. In his speech, Amit Shah stated, “If the Bharatiya Janata Party government is formed, then we will abolish the unconstitutional Muslim reservation. This right belongs to the SC-ST and OBC of Telangana, they will get that right, and we will end the Muslim reservation.” Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon careful observation of the viral video, we noticed the logo ‘V6 NEWS’. V6 News is a Telugu news channel based in Hyderabad, Telangana. Taking this as a cue to gather more information about the viral video, we conducted a relevant keyword search on YouTube. This search led us to a longer version of the same video published by the ‘V6 News Telugu’ official YouTube channel on 23 April 2023, titled “Union Minister Amit Shah Comments on Muslim Reservations | V6 Weekend Teenmaar”. According to this video report, Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Chevella, Telangana, on 23 April 2023.
At around the 2:39 timestamp, Amit Shah can be heard saying, “If the Bharatiya Janata Party government is formed, then we will abolish the unconstitutional Muslim reservation. This right belongs to the SC-ST and OBC of Telangana, they will get that right, and we will end the Muslim reservation.” From this, it is clear that Amit Shah’s speech has been clipped and edited in different parts and is being shared with false claims. Originally, Amit Shah said they would revoke the Muslim reservations that exist in Telangana. Additional news reports regarding Amit Shah’s speech in Chevella, Telangana, on 23 April 2023 can be viewed here, here, and here. The speech was also live streamed on Amit Shah’s official YouTube channel.
In Telangana, the Muslim community has been receiving 4% reservations in education and employment under the Other Backward Classes category. In 2007, when the undivided Andhra Pradesh was in existence, 4% reservations were introduced for Muslim minorities. However, this quota is not implemented by reducing the existing quota of the OBCs; rather, it is allocated under a separate category of OBCs known as BC-E. Under the Telangana government’s Backward Classes Welfare scheme, Group E is defined as “Socially and Educationally Backward Classes among Muslims.
According to several media reports (here, and here), the Union Home Ministry filed a complaint with the Delhi police on 28 April 2024, seeking action against this edited video of Amit Shah.
To sum up, an edited video is being shared, claiming that Amit Shah said the BJP would scrap SC, ST, and OBC reservations.


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An edited video is being shared on social media with a false claim that it shows a foreign orchestra playing a Tamil song. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 20, 2023
A video that allegedly shows an orchestra performing a music piece from the movie “Anbe Vaa,” which stars MGR and Saroja Devi, is viral on social media. According to the accompanying description, the featured orchestra in the video is the ‘New York Philharmonic Orchestra.’ This article aims to fact-check this claim.
Claim: A New York-based orchestra performed a Tamil song.
Fact: This video has been edited and does not accurately represent a New York Philharmonic Orchestra performance. The original video was created by a YouTuber named VimalPercy, who uploads piano tutorial videos on their channel. VimalPercy created a symphony orchestra-style cover for the song “Rajavin Parvai Raniyin Pakkam” from the movie ‘Anbe Vaa,’ featuring MGR and B Saroja Devi. However, unrelated clips of orchestra players performing different music pieces were added to the video. According to VimalPercy, these clips were added to provide visual context to the instruments being played. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the claim’s veracity, we searched the internet with relevant keywords, which led us to the longer version of the viral video. It was uploaded on a YouTube channel named VimalPercy. It was revealed that VimalPercy uploads piano tutorials for various songs, and this video was one such tutorial of a song named Rajavin Parval Raniyin Pakkam from the movie Anbe Vaa created in the style of a symphony orchestra.
In the video’s description, VimalPercy mentioned that they had initially added clips of an orchestra to enhance the viewing experience and provide visual context. However, due to the confusion caused, VimalPercy blurred the orchestra video and stated that their intention was not to mislead anyone.
Some users in the comment section pointed out that the video of the orchestra confused them and made them believe that some foreign orchestra played it. One user even said that this video was viral on WhatsApp, claiming it was the performance of ‘The New York Philanthropic Symphony Orchestra.’ Vimal responded to this by saying that, They thought adding those videos would give a better viewing experience, but it backfired.
Although the video on VimalPercy’s channel is now blurred, further investigation based on the viral video led to the identification of original sources for some of the clips used in it. Reverse image searches on keyframes from the viral video revealed that portions featuring the violin player were taken from a performance by violinist Hilary Hahn, while the remaining clips were from a performance by the ‘Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam'(here and here).
Therefore, it is clear that the video was edited using clips from various unrelated performances and does not represent an actual performance by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
To sum up, an edited video is being shared on social media with a false claim that it shows a foreign orchestra playing a Tamil song.


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An edited video is falsely shared as a woman refusing to take an LPG connection from PM Modi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 1, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a woman refusing to take an LPG connection from PM Modi on the stage. The video is being shared in the context of recent high LPG prices. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a woman refusing to take an LPG connection from PM Modi.
Fact: It is an edited video. The video has been reversed to falsely show that the woman walked away from PM Modi when an LPG connection was offered to her. Also, it is an old video from 2016. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for information regarding the posted video with some keywords, many similar visuals were found in the search results. ‘NDTV’ posted a similar video in 2016 and wrote – “PM Modi launches free cooking gas scheme in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia“. In the video, it can be seen that the woman takes the LPG connection from PM Modi before leaving the stage. The posted video has been reversed to falsely show that the woman walked away from PM Modi when an LPG connection was offered to her.
The event was streamed live on the YouTube channels of the BJP and Narendra Modi. The unedited version can be also seen in those videos.
To sum it up, an edited video is falsely shared as a woman refusing to take an LPG connection from PM Modi


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An edited video is shared as Indian and Pakistani cricket fans dancing to Jai Shree Ram song at the MCG - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 7, 2022
A post with a video is being shared on social media where Indian and Pakistani cricket fans are seen dancing to Jai Shree Ram song. The text on the video  reads ‘The unity at MCG,’  claiming that this happened at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where India and Pakistan played the T20 cricket match that was held on 23 October 2022. This video is also being shared in news reports (here, here and here) about the cricket fans of both nations grooving to Bollywood songs. Let’s verify this video through this article.
Claim: India and Pakistani fans dancing to the ‘Jai Shree Ram’ song at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Fact: We found a lengthier version of the same video in which the actual song that plays in the background is Tare Gin Gin. The viral video was created by replacing this song with the Jai Shree Ram song. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We ran a keyword search on Google to find the video’s veracity and were led to a lengthier version of the same video. In this video, people wearing India and Pakistan cricket jerseys can be seen dancing to a Punjabi song ‘Tare Gin Gin.’ These videos can be seen here and here.
I will forever be jealous of the people who got to be at this match and the afterparty. pic.twitter.com/N49DxZeEQ0
A few other cricket fans have also shot videos (here and here) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before the India- Pakistan Match on 23 October 2022. We can see the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 banner in all these videos. People can be seen dancing to the same song-‘Tare Gin Gin,’ in one such video.
To sum up, an edited video is peddled as Indian and Pakistani cricket fans dance to the Jai Shree Ram song at the MCG.

created: November 7, 2022


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An edited video is shared as a man falling into a pit and disappearing completely - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2022
A video of a person falling into a pit while jumping over a fence is being shared widely on social media. In the video, a person falls into a pit and disappears completely. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a man falling into a pit and disappearing completely.
Fact: It is an edited video. While it is true that the person fell into a pit, he did not disappear completely. He instantly got up and walked away. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, many similar videos were found in the search results. A user has posted the original version of the video on his Twitter profile. In the original video, it can be seen that the person falls into a pit, but he did not disappear completely. He instantly got up and walked away. The original version of the video can be also found posted on Instagram.
The video was reportedly taken in Indonesia during a protest against the rumours of the 2024 presidential elections postponement.
To sum it up, an edited video is shared as that of a man falling into a pit and disappearing completely.


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Multiple edited videos showing various objects among the clouds in the sky are shared as real - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 13, 2022
A video is being shared on social media with the claim that it shows an angel on the top of a cloud in the sky. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows an angel on the top of a cloud in the sky.
Fact: The posted video is an edited one. Many such edited videos, some with even buildings on a cloud, can be seen on the ‘myuz_gaza1’ TikTok profile. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
If one observes the video, the word ‘MYUZGAZA’ is written at the bottom of the video. So, when we searched with that keyword, we found a TikTok profile with the name – ‘myuz_gaza1’. The same video can be seen on that profile.
The uploader does not mention that the posted video is an edited one. However, on looking at the other videos posted by him, it can be easily concluded that the videos posted by him are mostly edited.
Sometimes, the clouds can appear in the shapes of different things and beings. But, in some of the videos posted by ‘myuz_gaza1’, one can even see proper buildings appearing in the sky. In one video, the Taj Mahal can be seen on a cloud in the sky, which is highly improbable.
To sum it up, an edited video is falsely shared as an angel on the top of a cloud in the sky.


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An edited video is shared as leaked audio of a Saudi player asking Lionel Messi to convert to Islam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 28, 2022
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that the leaked audio of a Saudi player asking Lionel Messi to convert to Islam can be heard in the viral video. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Leaked audio of a Saudi player asking Lionel Messi to convert to Islam.
Fact: The audio in the posted video is not authentic; it has been edited. The audio clip from an old cricket match has been picked up and added to the Messi-Albulayhi video. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the posted video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, it was found that many news agencies have published articles with similar visuals. The visuals are related to the recent FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. However, none of the news agencies reported about Saudi player Al-Bulayhi asking Lionel Messi to convert to Islam. Al-Bulayhi revealed that he said – “You will not win, you will not win!”, to Lionel Messi. The articles on the incident can be read here, here, and here.
The audio clip in the posted video was picked up from a cricket match held in 2014. The audio belongs to an incident where Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad told Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan – “If you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, straight to heaven.” The actual visuals related to the audio can be watched here.
To sum it up, an edited video is shared as leaked audio of a Saudi player asking Lionel Messi to convert to Islam.

created: November 28, 2022


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An edited video is shared as visuals of the Israeli ambassador displaying the "Butcher of Iran will not be missed" signboard at the UN - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 24, 2024
A video (here, here, and here) is doing the rounds on social media, which allegedly shows the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, displaying a signboard that reads, “Butcher of Iran will not be missed.” We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Video of the Israeli ambassador displaying the “Butcher of Iran will not be missed” signboard at the UN.
Fact: This is an edited video. In the original video from September 2023, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, is seen displaying a poster that reads, “Iranian Women Deserve Freedom Now!” Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we performed a keyword search on the internet, which led us to the original video from September 2023. In this original video, Gilad Erdan was seen holding up a poster. However, it did not have the text “Butcher of Iran will not be missed”. Instead, it is a poster with a photograph of the Iranian woman ‘Mahsa Amini’ who died in 2022 after reportedly being arrested by Iran’s morality police.
As per the news reports (here, here, and here), Israel’s ambassador, Gilad Erdan, displayed a poster that reads, “Iranian Women Deserve Freedom Now!” in the UN General Assembly.
This makes it clear that the viral video is fake and created using video editing techniques.
He reportedly did this act in protest against the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was giving a speech at the UN General Assembly. Gilad Erdam was later escorted out of the UN Assembly by security officers. Gilad Erdam posted this video describing the event on his “X” handle.
New moral stain for the UN ‼
When President Raisi of Iran, the “Butcher of Tehran,” began his speech, I waved a picture of Mahsa Amini, the innocent Iranian woman who was brutally murdered by the regime one year ago for not wearing a hijab “properly.”
Meanwhile, outside the UN… pic.twitter.com/ZVq80Zpt9N
To sum up, an old video from 2023 is edited to falsely portray that the Israeli ambassador was seen holding a poster that reads “Butcher of Iran will not be missed” at the UN.


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An edited video of PM Modi clapping on the launch of Chandrayaan-2 falsely shared as him watching ‘Ramayana’ TV series - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2020
A video where Prime Minister Modi is seen clapping is being shared on social media with a claim that he is doing so while watching ‘Ramayana’ TV series. But, FACTLY has found the video to be edited one. In the original video, it can be seen that PM Modi was watching and clapping during the live telecast of the launch of Chandrayaan-2 by ISRO. So, the visuals of the launch of Chandrayaan-2 telecasted on television have been edited to show the visuals of TV series ‘Ramayana’. Earlier, when the same video was shared as PM Modi clapping while watching Chidambaram getting arrested, FACTLY has written a fact-check article, which can be read here.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. ANI tweet – https://twitter.com/ani/status/1153248638937776130
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An edited video of Rahul Gandhi is shared as him appealing to vote for the BJP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 22, 2024
A video of Rahul Gandhi appealing to voters to protect the Constitution and democracy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is being shared on social media (here, here, and here), claiming that Gandhi is urging voters to support the BJP. In the video, Gandhi says, “This election is crucial for saving democracy and the Constitution. On one side, the Congress Party and India Alliance are destroying both. On the other side, the RSS and BJP are committed to protecting the Constitution and the public system. While Congress has made 20-25 people billionaires, Modi ji aims to make millions of women and youth millionaires. Support BJP and RSS to save the Constitution. Press the button for Narendra Modi ji.” Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi appealed to the public to vote for the BJP and protect democracy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Fact: The video is edited by swapping the terms ‘Congress and India Alliance’ with ‘RSS and BJP or Modi.’ This made it seem as if Rahul Gandhi was asking for votes for the BJP. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a reverse image search using the keyframes of the video, we found the full version of the video on ‘The New Indian Express’ YouTube channel, titled ‘Rahul Gandhi appeals to voters in Lok Sabha elections 2024,’ published on 25 April 2024. This was also shared on Gandhi’s official YouTube channel (here and here).
Upon reviewing the full video, we discovered that it was edited by swapping the terms ‘Congress and India Alliance’ with ‘RSS and BJP or Modi.’ This made it seem as if Rahul Gandhi was asking for votes for the BJP. In the original Video, Gandhi appealed that “This election is crucial for saving our democracy and upholding the Constitution. On one side, we have the Congress and the India Alliance striving to protect these values, while on the other, the RSS and BJP are attempting to undermine the Constitution and our public systems. We started a journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering 4,000 kilometers on foot, and travelled from Manipur to Maharashtra. Through these interactions, Congress has crafted a revolutionary manifesto based on your voices and concerns. It promises five key guarantees. While Modi ji has created 20-25 billionaires, Congress aims to empower millions of women and youth. We pledge a guaranteed MSP to farmers and will waive off their loans. Workers will receive a minimum wage of Rs 4000. This manifesto is designed to transform the nation. Support Congress, save the Constitution, and press the hand button.”
To sum up, an edited video of Raul Gandhi is shared as he is appealing to vote for the BJP.


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An edited video of Rahul Gandhi is shared as his acknowledgement of Congress party dividing the country in the name of religion, caste, and regions - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 6, 2024
A video clip of Rahul Gandhi is widely circulating on social media platforms where he allegedly stated, “that the BJP is trying to unite the people, on the other hand, the Congress party is dividing the people on the basis of religion and region.” Through this article, let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Rahul Gandhi saying, “the BJP is trying to unite the people, on the other hand, the Congress party is dividing the people on the basis of religion and region”.
Fact: This video is from Rahul Gandhi’s address during a public meeting in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ flag handover ceremony held on 02 March 2024. The original video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech has been edited between timestamps 20:11 to 20:30 and shared with a false narrative. In the original video, Rahul Gandhi stated that “the BJP people are dividing people on the basis of religion, caste, and region. On the other hand, the Congress party is trying to unite the people”. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral video, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet and found the complete video of this public meeting on the official YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress. The public meeting was livestreamed on 02 March 2024 with the title “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra flag handover ceremony in Morena, Madhya Pradesh.” This flag handover ceremony was organized at Bhimrao Ambedkar Stadium in Morena city as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Madhya Pradesh from Rajasthan on 02 March 2024.
Upon careful review of the entire video, we discovered that the original video was edited between timestamps 20:11 to 20:30. Originally, in his speech, Rahul Gandhi said, “BJP ke log ek dharm ko dusre dharm se baat rahe hain, ek jaath ko dusre jaath se baat rahe hain, ek Pradesh ko dusre Pradesh se baat rahe hain, aur dusri taraf Congress party sab ko ek saath lane ki koshish kar rahi hai.” When translated from Hindi to English, it reads, “The BJP people are dividing people on the basis of religion, caste, and region. While on the other hand, the Congress party is trying to unite the people.” Rahul Gandhi’s speech on the official website of the Indian National Congress also mentions the same.
News reports also covered Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Morena, Madhya Pradesh (here & here). Our investigation reveals that the original video has been edited between the timestamps 20:11 and 20:30 and is being shared to disseminate misinformation.
To sum it up, an edited video of Rahul Gandhi is being shared, alleging that he acknowledged that the Congress party is dividing the country in the name of religion, caste, and regions.


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An edited video of Rahul Gandhi is shared as visuals of him proclaiming the victory of Narendra Modi in the 2024 General Elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 15, 2024
A video (here, here and here) recently went viral on social media in which Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi is seen saying that Narendra Modi will become India’s PM again on 4 June 2024. Later in the video, he says that the I.N.D.I Alliance will not be getting even one seat in Uttar Pradesh. We fact-check these claims through this article.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi proclaimed the victory of Narendra Modi in the 2024 general elections.
Fact: The viral clip is an edited version of Rahul Gandhi’s speech in a public meeting in Kanpur on 10 May 2024. Various tiny bits from this speech were clipped out of context to show that Rahul Gandhi proclaimed Modi’s victory. In his original speech, he said Narendra Modi would not become the PM this time and predicted 50-seats for the I.N.D.I Alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we performed a keyword search leading us to the original speech of Rahul Gandhi in which he spoke about Narendra Modi and the I.N.D.I Alliance. This speech is available on the official verified YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress.
He made this speech at a public meeting in Kanpur on 10 May 2024. Various moments from this speech were cut out and edited to look like he was predicting the victory of Narendra Modi once again in 2024.
At the beginning (45:54) of his speech, he says that on 4 June 2024, Narendra Modi will not be the Prime Minister of India. The bits seen in the viral video were taken from his speech from 45:54 until 47:44. Here, Rahul Gandhi can be seen saying that the media is scared to tell the truth, which, according to him, is that Narendra Modi would not be the PM of India on 4 June 2024. He further said that the I.N.D.I Alliance, which the Congress is part of, will win at least 50 seats in Uttar Pradesh. You can find an archived version of this portion of his speech here. Further, you can find a few news reports on this speech here, here and here.
To sum up, bits from Rahul Gandhi’s Kanpur speech were used to edit the viral video, which falsely portrays that he was proclaiming the victory of Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.


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An edited video of Rahul Gandhi making a calculation error is being shared as a real one. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 12, 2024
A clip of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly making a calculation error while adding up the numbers 50 and 15 to equal 73 is circulating widely on social media platforms. The clip was shared by many users (here and here) with the claim that, according to Rahul Gandhi, 50+15=73. Let’s verify this claim through this fact-checking article.
Claim: Rahul Gandhi stated that 50+15 equals 73 during a speech.
Fact: The clip has been edited and taken out of its original context. Rahul Gandhi was referring to the population share of OBCs, Dalits, and Tribals, i.e. 50, 15 and 8 which collectively add to 73%. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Our fact-checking process began with searching for more details about Rahul Gandhi’s speech, in which this alleged calculation error was made. This search led us to news reports (here and here) about the incident, through which we managed to identify the speech as the one given during his Bharath Jodo Nyay Yatra rally held in Odisha’s Belapur.
Further search led us to the full speech video on Rahul Gandhi’s YouTube channel, broadcast live on 8 February 2024.
In the full speech, Rahul Gandhi discusses his proposed Caste census within a broader context. He mentions that there are approximately 50% OBCs, 15% Dalits, and 8% tribals in India, all totalling to 73%. This part of the speech has been clipped and shared out of context to create the impression that Gandhi wrongly added 50 and 15 to get 73. Therefore, the viral video was clipped and shared outside of its original context.
मुझसे एक पत्रकार ने पूछा कि "राहुल जी, आप जाति जनगणना और हक की बात कर रहे हैं, तो क्या इससे देश नहीं बंट रहा है?"
मैंने जवाब में उनसे पूछा कि "मीडिया में, कितने अखबारों के मालिक पिछड़े, दलित,आदिवासी वर्ग से हैं?- वह चुप हो गया।
मैंने कहा कि देश में करीब 50% OBC, 15% दलित, 8%… pic.twitter.com/Yew8nuoOZY
To sum up, the video clip alleging that Rahul Gandhi made a calculation error has been shared out of context, creating a false narrative.

created: February 12, 2024


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An Edited video is portrayed as the visuals of British boys singing Ramayana song at a UK talent show - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 3, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of two British boys singing the Ramayana TV serial title song at a UK talent show. This post claims one of them as an Indian-origin British boy. We received the same video with a similar claim on our WhatsApp Tipline. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of two British boys singing the Ramayana serial title song at a UK talent show.
Fact: The video shared in the post is an edited one. In the original video, the Bars & Melody teen rappers Leondre and Charlie were seen singing an anti-bullying theme oriented English song at ‘Britain’s Got Talent 2014’ programme. Both rappers are not of Indian origin. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots shared in the video, similar visuals were found in a video published on the ‘Popcorn’ YouTube channel. In the original video, the teen rappers did not sing the Ramayana serial title song. This channel mentioned it as the visuals of Bars & Melody pop duo singing an original anti-bullying song at Britain’s Got Talent show.
When we searched for more reliable sources using these keywords, the original version of the video was found on the ‘Britain Got Talent’ official YouTube channel. In the description of the video, it is mentioned as the performance of Bars & Melody teen rappers Leondre and Charlie, at the ‘Britain’s Got Talent 2014’ programme. This pop duo’s another performance at  ‘Britain’s Got Talent 2014’ programme can be seen here. By swapping the audio clip of the original video with the Ramayana serial title song, this video in the post shared on social media with these false claims.
Bars & Melody (BAM) are a UK based well-known urban pop duo consisting of Leondre Devries (Bar) and Charlie Lenehan (Melody). Leondre Devries hails from the Wales country in UK and Charlie hails from South England. They are not of Indian origin.
To sum it up, an edited video is falsely portrayed as the visuals of  British boys singing the Ramayana serial title song at a UK talent show.
UPDATE (05 January 2022): Another video (archived here) is also being shared now with the same claim. The original video is from a Spanish reality show ‘La Voz Kids 2017’, which was uploaded in 2017. The audio of the original video is edited to include the Ramayana title song.


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An edited video shared as ‘Modi heckled by ‘chowkidar chor hai’ slogans during his West Bengal visit’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2020
A video of Modi seen along with Mamata Banerjee is shared on social media widely with a claim that people heckled Modi with ‘chowkidar chor hai’ slogans. FACTLY has found that the audio of this video clip is edited and replaced with that of another video. The visuals can be seen in a video posted on the Facebook page of ‘Akashvani Sangbad Kolkata’. The video is taken during Modi’s recent visit to West Bengal to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Amphan in the State. In the original video, no such slogans of ‘chowkidar chor hai’ are heard. The audio track of those slogans can be found in another video with the title – ‘On cam: Congress supporters chant ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ at BJP rally in Bengaluru’. The video shows Congress supporters in Bengaluru chanting anti-Modi slogans during BJP leaders campaign for Lok Sabha Elections-2019.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. News post – https://www.facebook.com/akasvanisangbadkolkata/videos/255668232210649/
2. News post – https://www.facebook.com/bengaltimes24x7/videos/1088459951522318/
3. News video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bnljP8W2cU
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An edited video shared as ‘Obama dumping Trump’s gift' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 12, 2020
A video is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows Barak Obama dumping the gift given by the Trump couple recently to calm the anger of black people. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Recent video of Barack Obama dumping the gift by the Trump couple given to calm the anger of black people.
Fact: The video is not a recent one. The incident in the video took place in 2017 when the Obamas welcomed the Trump couple to the White House after Trump’s victory in the 2016 Presidential Election. Also, it an edited video. In the original video, it can be seen that Barack Obama took the gift inside and handed it over to a staffer. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched with the keywords, many similar videos were found in the search results. As the posted video had the ‘CNN’ watermark, we looked for the ‘CNN’ video. It was found that a similar video was posted by the ‘CNN’ on its YouTube channel in January 2017 with the following description – ‘President Barack Obama greets President-elect Donald Trump at the White House’. So, it is not a recent video. Also, in the video, it can be seen that Barack Obama took the gift inside and handed it over to a staffer. So, the posted video is an edited one.
In similar videos from other angles, it can be clearly seen that Obama took the gift inside. Those videos can be watched here and here. Also, the same has been confirmed by Michelle Obama in the ‘The Ellen Show’, where she spoke about the gift.
To sum it up, an edited video is shared as ‘Obama dumping Trump’s gift given to calm the anger of black people’.
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An empty Nebuliser cannot be used as a substitute for oxygen cylinders - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 27, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming that an empty nebuliser could improve the blood oxygen levels in COVID-19 patients. This video shows Dr. Alok from Faridabad’s Sarvodaya Hospital, explaining the nebuliser technique to improve blood oxygen levels in the body. He claims nebuliser is a substitute for oxygen cylinders. Amid the ongoing oxygen shortage crisis in the Indian hospitals, Dr. Alok shared this nebuliser technique on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: An empty nebuliser can be used as a substitute for oxygen cylinders.
Fact: Doctors and experts have warned people that there is no scientific evidence to prove Dr. Alok’s statement on using nebuliser machines as a substitute for oxygen cylinders. Sarvodaya Hospital management distanced itself from the video and denied endorsing this video and clarified that there is no scientific evidence to prove this technique. Dr. Alok posted another video clarifying that his video on how to use nebuliser is wrong and is sending a false message. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the details of the video shared in the post, we found several news articles that wrote about Dr. Alok Sethi’s video explaining the nebuliser technique to improve blood oxygen levels in COVID-19 patients. They can be seen here and here. These articles reported that doctors and experts have warned people that there is no scientific evidence to prove Alok Sethi’s nebuliser technique to improve blood oxygen levels in the body. They termed Alok Sethi’s statement on using nebulisers as a substitute for oxygen cylinders as baseless.
Sarvodaya Hospital management tweeted a clarification on this video stating, “The video has not been backed by any evidence or scientific study, does not reflect any medical advice, & is no way endorsed by Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad”.
Always consult a medical practitioner before following any #medication practice, especially for #treatment of severe conditions. Do not fall prey to any information without an authorized source.#awareness #SarvodayaHealthcare #SHRC pic.twitter.com/itTVLfYqkd
Dr. Alok Sethi posted another video clarifying that his video on how to use nebuliser has gone wrong and is sending the false message. He apologised for the video and said he did not intend to send the wrong message.
Dr. Alok apologize for his viral video regarding use of  nebuliser machine. #sarvodayahospital #nebulizermachine #oxygen #dralok pic.twitter.com/d7APD3Z7d5
To sum it up, an empty nebuliser cannot be used as an alternative for oxygen cylinders.


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An image from the documentary film ‘Messi’ is shared as real childhood picture of Lionel Messi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 3, 2022
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it to be a childhood picture of Argentinian football player Lionel Messi. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Argentinian professional footballer Lionel Messi’s childhood picture.
Fact: The photo shared in the post shows a still from the 2014 documentary film  ‘Messi’. The photo shows Juan Ignacio Martinez, a boy who played Messi’s childhood character in the Álex de la Iglesia-directed ‘Messi’ film. The photo does not show a real childhood picture of Lionel Messi. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘Benditofutbal.com’ website. This article described it is working still from the Álex de la Iglesia-directed ‘Messi‘ documentary film. The description of the photo states, “Juan Ignacio Martínez in the role of Lionel Messi when he was a child“. The documentary film ‘Messi’ was released in 2014.
Several news websites published articles reporting about Juan Ignacio Martínez, the boy who played Messi’s childhood character in the documentary film Messi. They can be seen here, here and here. Juan Ignacio Martínez himself shared a few of his working stills from the film ‘Messi’ on his Instagram page. They can be seen here, here and here.
A few childhood pictures of Lionel Messi can be seen here, and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post shows a working still from the 2014 ‘Messi’ movie, not a real childhood picture of Lionel Messi.
To sum it up, an image from the documentary film ‘Messi’ is shared as a real childhood picture of Argentinian professional footballer Lionel Messi.

created: October 3, 2022


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An image of a pedestrian bridge in China’s Kunming city is shared as that from Gorakhpur in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 21, 2023
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is a picture of a pedestrian flyover constructed over a busy junction in Gorakhpur city of Uttar Pradesh. Many other Facebook users also shared the photo mentioning the pedestrian bridge is from India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of a pedestrian flyover constructed in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The image shared in the post shows a pedestrian bridge constructed in Kunming City in Yunnan province of China. The photo was taken in November 2009. The photo does not show a pedestrian bridge in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur or any other city in India. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found to be published by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) on Flicker in April 2011. ITDP published the image describing it as a pedestrian bridge located in Kunming City in China. The description provided below the photo stated that the photo was taken on 28 November 2009.
The same image was published on the Alamy website with the description, “Street view of Kunming city“. Several websites and image-sharing sites too confirmed that the viral picture was from Kunming City in Yunnan province of China. A few other pictures of pedestrian bridges in Kunming City can be seen here and here.
Many pedestrian foot-over bridges are constructed over busy streets in Gujarat, Telangana, and other parts of the country. But the photo shared in the post does not show a pedestrian flyover in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur or any other city in India.
To sum it up, an image of a pedestrian bridge in China’s Kunming city is shared as the picture of a pedestrian flyover in Gorakhpur city in India.


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An incident in which a girl cut her wrist after an argument with a Muslim boy is shared with a misleading narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2023
A video is being circulated on social media, accompanied by a claim that the boy seen in the video cut the wrist of a girl after a quarrel. The post further describes it as a Jihadi incident, identifying the girl as a Hindu and the boy as a Muslim. This article aims to fact-check these claims.
Claim: A Muslim boy cut a Hindu girl’s wrist in Delhi after an argument broke between them.
Fact: The police clarified that the girl cut her own wrist in the presence of her father after an argument with a Muslim boy. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Although the girl was injured in this incident, it was a self-inflicted wound, and police confirmed to us that the boy did not cut her wrist.
To learn more about this incident, we performed a keyword search on the internet, leading us to a news report published by Jagran. The incident occurred in Delhi’s Paharganj area. Reportedly, the police stated that the girl cut her wrist after an argument with a Muslim boy. Both the boy and the girl knew each other, and the girl had come to the Paharganj area after getting angry with her family members.
Sharing this video, Journalist Sachin Gupta wrote on Twitter that the police investigation revealed no crime related to this incident, and the girl’s family has not complained.
Speaking to us, a police official from Paharganj Police Station said that the claims circulating on social media are distorted. The girl herself cut her wrist, and her father was also present when this happened. He said that no complaint was made in this regard.
To sum up, an incident in which a girl cut her wrist after an argument with a Muslim boy is shared with a misleading communal narrative.


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An Indian model’s morphed photo falsely shared as ‘Teacher suspended for her body shape in Pakistan’. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 24, 2020
A photo of a woman is being shared on social media with a claim that she was a teacher in Lahore (Pakistan) and was suspended for her body shape. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo of the teacher who was suspended for her body shape in Lahore, Pakistan.
Fact: The woman in the photo is an Indian model. Her photo has been photoshopped and is being shared with a fake story. No such incident has been reported by any credible news agency. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the photo, it can be seen that the news (archived) was published by an online website – ‘Republic of Buzz’. No other credible news agency except a few nondescript websites have reported about such incident. In the photo, a tweet from the user account – ‘@ Aasiazubair908’ can be seen. On looking at that account, it can be observed that the account has been created recently in June 2020 and very few tweets were made from the account. Also, on running the posted image through Google Reverse Image, similar photos can be found in the search results and it can be seen that the posted image has been morphed.
Also, in the search results, the Instagram profile of the woman in the photo was found. Her name is ‘Zoya Shaik’ and she wrote in her Instagram profile that she is – ‘Actor, fashion blogger. Fashion Model’. She posted the same photo on her profile on 14 February 2020. Other photos and videos of her in the same dress can be found on her profile. She has also featured in some vlogs and music videos. Further, she is from India. So, the Lahore Teacher suspension story is fake.
To sum it up, an Indian model’s morphed photo falsely shared as ‘Teacher suspended for her body shape in Lahore’.
To sum it up, an Indian model’s morphed photo falsely shared as ‘Teacher suspended for her body shape in Lahore’.
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An Indonesian school's bullying incident from 2020 is falsely shared as Hindu boys beating their Muslim classmate in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 25, 2023
A video circulating on social media is said to portray a recent bullying incident involving boys from India tormenting their female classmate. Description of one of the posts that shared this video in Hindi translates to “..see here how the boys with Sanghi mentality are behaving with girls wearing Hijab…”.  Here is a fact-check about this claim.
Claim: A recent video of a few Indian boys bullying their female classmate.
Fact: This video is from February 2020 and depicts an incident in Purworejo, Central Java, Indonesia, not India. As per reports, the incident involved three boys from a school called Muhammadiya Need Middle School (SMP Butuh Purworejo), bullying their female classmate, who is reportedly a child with special needs.  Following the video’s initial viral circulation in 2020, the boys involved were reportedly arrested. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
An internet keyword search to uncover more information about the viral video led us (here) to a video report by the news outlet Tribune News from February 2020. This video was uploaded on their verified YouTube channel.
According to the news article (also here and here) linked in the YouTube video description, the viral video depicts three boys from Muhammadiyah Need Middle School (SMP Butuh Purworejo) in Purworejo, Central Java, Indonesia, bullying their female classmate.
The boys in this video can be seen kicking, slapping, and beating the girl, who is reported to be a child with special needs (here). After it became viral in 2020, police arrested the boys involved in this violent act (here).
To sum it up, the claim that the video is recent and originates from India is false. The actual incident took place in Indonesia in February 2020.

created: September 25, 2023


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An informative video made to spread awareness on the CPR technique is being shared as a real one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 21, 2022
A post with a video is being shared on social media in which a girl faints and falls on the ground; a man performs CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on her, after which she starts to move. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Young woman seen in the video faints due to a heart attack and is rescued by a man by performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Fact: This video is a small portion of an informative video on the CPR technique. It was created by a doctor named Manoj Mittal of Jgadamba Baby Care, Karnal, Haryana, to explain the benefits of CPR. This video has two versions, one vertically shot, and the other horizontally shot. Both contain the same young girl who faints due to a heart attack at the exact location. It can be concluded that the video is scripted; hence the post is MISLEADING.
After searching the internet with relevant keywords, we found an extended version of the video from the viral post. In the extended version, a man approaches the girl who faints and starts performing CPR while explaining it; he even orders people to call an ambulance. The girl gains consciousness after a while and is sent on a stretcher to a hospital. Towards the end of the video, the man explains the CPR technique’s benefits and asks people to watch his other videos on CPR on his YouTube channel-Jagadamba Baby Care. His name is Manoj Mittal, and he is a Doctor; Manoj uploads health-related informative videos on his YouTube channel. Another video on CPR, which is horizontally shot, was also uploaded.
Although both videos do not contain a disclaimer that says they are scripted, we found a few differences when we compared the horizontally shot video and the vertical one. The girl is standing at a banana stall in the horizontal video and in front of a sweet lime shop in the vertical one. In the vertical one, Dr. Manoj shows a paper with his social media credentials but not in the horizontal one. At the end of the vertically shot video, he says that the video is made for informative purposes.
In both videos, he is wearing a collar microphone. It is also hard to believe that a person can get a heart attack at the same place twice. Hence it can be concluded that the video is made for informative purposes and is scripted.
What is the CPR technique?
According to cpr.heart.org ‘CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.’ This has to be performed with care, and the step-by-step procedure of it can be read here and here.
To sum up, an informative video made to spread awareness on the CPR technique is being shared as a real one.

created: September 21, 2022


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An illogical comparison of income limits is shared to illustrate the government's alleged indifference towards Scheduled Castes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 29, 2024
A social media post attempts to underscore the perceived indifference of the government towards SC/ST communities by contrasting the income limits established for various social categories to access government amenities. The post asserts that while the income limit for EWS/OBC is Rs. 8 lakhs, it is only Rs. 2.5 lakh for SC/STs, suggesting governmental apathy towards scheduled castes. In this article, we fact-check the assertions made in the post.
Claim: Comparison of income limits of different social groups to avail government facilities shows governments apathy towards SC/ST’s.
Fact: The income limits pertaining to SCs/STs are applicable for accessing government facilities such as scholarships whereas the income levels pertaining to OBCs/EWS are applicable for accessing reservations in general, i.e. reservation to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs. The government has not established an income limit for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes for accessing reservations. Thus, the Comparison made in the viral post is illogical, as they serve different purposes. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Misleading comparison :
The specified income limits for SC/ST individuals mentioned in the viral post are applicable for accessing government facilities such as scholarships. Whereas the income levels of OBCs/EWS are applicable for accessing reservations in general, i.e. reservation to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs. Comparing these limits to the annual income threshold set for OBC/EWS reservations is misleading, as they serve different purposes.
Articles 15(5) and Articles 16(5) enable the State to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens and provide reservations to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs. Likewise, Articles 15(6) and 16(6) enable the State to make similar special provisions for the advancement of economically weaker sections of citizens.
In accordance with these provisions, the government has not established an income limit for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes concerning reservation in admissions to educational institutions and government job recruitment. However, a creamy layer criterion of Rs. 8,00,000/- annual income from all sources has been designated for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to qualify for reservation benefits.
Income limit for government facilities:
Regarding the eligibility for government amenities such as scholarships and hostel facilities, the government has established income limits for parents from all sources based on the category of students, ensuring their qualification for scholarships under various welfare schemes.
As an illustration, according to the updated directives from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the income limit for parents/guardians from all sources for SC students applying for the Post-Matric Scholarship is capped at Rs. 2,50,000. Similar income limits are established for OBC categories, and you can find the specifics of these limits here.
Consequently, this information establishes that an illogical attempt is made to compare the income limits for two different purposes to deduce a misleading conclusion that the government is against SCs/STs.
Supreme Court upheld creamy layer for SCs/STs
In 2018, the five-judge bench court ruling in the case of Jarnail Singh vs. Lacchmi Narain Gupta upheld reservations for SCs/STs in public employment promotions. Nevertheless, it extended the creamy layer principle to SC/STs regarding promotions. Consequently, SC/ST individuals falling within the creamy layer are ineligible for promotion reservations.
The central government requested the Supreme Court to refer to the question of whether the concept of the creamy layer should apply to Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the context of providing them reservations in promotions to a wider Bench.
In September 2021, the Court declined to reconsider the Jarnail Singh decision. Nonetheless, it consented to entertain arguments regarding the need for any clarifications. As of now, the Court has not yet provided clarifications on its 2018 judgment. The chronological sequence of events addressing this issue can be viewed here.
To sum it up, the viral post engages in an illogical comparison of income limits to underscore the perceived indifference of the government towards the scheduled castes.

created: February 29, 2024


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An irrelevant video is shared as that of Asifa murder case accused - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a video alleging that the man seen in the video is Mohammed Elias, an accused in Asifa murder case. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
The man seen in the video is an accused in Asifa murder case.
Fact: The video is that of a man involved in a case in Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh. It is in no way connected to Asifa’s rape and murder, that occurred in Kathua of Jammu & Kashmir. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When searched Google with keywords “prisoner face blackened and beaten with slippers”, the same video was found in an article of ‘News Nation’. As per it, a man in police custody, who was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh was hit with slippers by some college girls. But when the video in “News Nation” was observed carefully, the police vehicle has the registration of ‘Madhya Pradesh’ state on its number plate.
A flexi is also spotted in the background that reads as “Aarakshi Kendra Hanumanganj, (some place) M.P.” in Hindi.
This indicates that the video might be related to a case in Madhya Pradesh. One thing which can be ascertained is that the video is not connected to the Kathua case of Jammu & Kashmir. When BOOM reached out to Kathua case lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat, she said that the video was fake.
To sum it up, the video might be the one related to a case in M.P or U.P but not to the Kathua case of Jammu & Kashmir.


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An old 2011 public letter by Dr. Devi Shetty opposing Healthcare service tax resurfaces as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 24, 2023
A social media post containing an open letter allegedly written by Dr. Devi Shetty opposing a proposed 5% service tax on healthcare in the recent budget is being shared on social media. Dr. Shetty called this tax a ‘Misery tax.’ This letter also calls out to people to assemble at the Governor’s house of each state at 11 am on 12 March with a petition to roll back the tax. Let’s know the details behind this letter in this fact-checking article.
Claim: In an open letter written by Dr. Devi Shetty, he called on people to gather at the Governor’s residence of each state with a petition to oppose the recently proposed health care service tax which he labels as a ‘Misery tax’.
Fact: This letter was indeed written by Dr. Devi Shetty, but in 2011 when the then Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to levy a service tax of 5% on the healthcare services provided by hospitals with 25 or more beds with central air conditioning facilities. This letter and the opposition to this bill from various healthcare professionals led the government to withdraw the proposed provision. The 2023-24 union budget also does not contain any provision for service tax on healthcare. Hence the claim made in the post is Misleading
We performed a reverse image search on the image to learn more details about the letter. This search led us to two blog posts (here and here) from March 2011, which contained the same letter. One of those two posts mentions that Dr. Devi Shetty issued this open letter to the people of India urging them to ‘observe 12th March 2011 as ‘Misery Day’.  The letter also opposed the Union Government’s proposal to impose an additional 5 per cent service tax on healthcare provided by the private hospitals. He called this new proposed tax as ‘Misery Tax’.
We then looked for relevant news articles regarding this and found the related information. Reportedly, in 2011, the then Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to levy a service tax of 5% on the healthcare services provided by hospitals with 25 or more beds with central air conditioning facilities. This proposal received a negative response from the healthcare industry. Opposing this Service Tax, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, chairman of Narayana Hrudayalaya, wrote an open letter (here and here) calling it a ‘Misery tax‘.
Deccan Herald reported that he met Pranab Mukherjee and asked him to withdraw the proposed bill.
Later, the bill was rolled back (here and here), to which Dr. Shetty responded to it by saying “I am happy that the finance minister has decided to roll back the service tax. I met the FM two weeks ago and at that time he was of the view that the tax would hurt the common man and he would like to do something about it.”
In the 2023-2024 Union Budget presented by Union Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on 01 February 2023, Service Tax on Healthcare is not included.  A copy of the budget document can be seen here. Further, service tax is now subsumed under the GST. Hence, there cannot be imposition of service tax on any service.
To sum it up, the viral post falsely shares an old letter from 2011 as a recent one.

created: February 24, 2023


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An old 2014 video of Modi meeting Manmohan Singh is being shared with a misleading narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 2, 2019
On Facebook, many users are posting a video of Modi meeting Manmohan Singh and are alleging that the Modi has met Manmohan to seek suggestions to improve the country’s GDP ahead of the upcoming Union Budget. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Modi has visited Manmohan Singh ahead of the upcoming Union Budget to seek suggestions to improve the country’s GDP
Fact: The video is from the year 2014 when Narendra Modi called upon his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh at his residence, a day after the former has assumed the office. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When searched on YouTube with keywords “Modi meets Manmohan”, the same video was found in “ABP News”. The date of upload was found to be May 27, 2014 i.e., the day after Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister during his first term. The same video was found in Narendra Modi’s official YouTube channel.
When Googled for any further information, an article of “News18” covering the same event was found. According to the article,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh at his residence, a day after he assumed the office. The visit of Modi was described as a courtesy call.
To conclude, an old 2014 video of Modi meeting Manmohan Singh is being shared with a misleading narrative.
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An old 2015 video of security forces dispersing a ‘Muharram’ procession in Kashmir is being falsely shared as a recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 12, 2019
A video of security forces using batons and firing tear gas on a crowd is being shared with the claim that they were dispersing a procession held during the recent ‘Muharram’ celebrations in Kashmir. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Latest video of security forces dispersing a procession held as part of the recent ‘Muharram’ celebrations in Kashmir.
Fact: It is an old video. The video shows security forces in Kashmir dispersing Muslims who participated in Muharram processions in 2015. Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.
When the video in the post was run through the ‘InVid’ plugin, several keyframes were obtained. On subjecting these keyframes to reverse image search, no relevant search results were obtained. In the video, a store “Pirson chemists & druggists” can be seen at -0:54 duration.
When looked on Google Maps with the keywords Pirson chemists & druggists’, a store with that name was found to exist in Jammu & Kashmir. So, it can be concluded that the video was taken in Jammu & Kashmir.
Also, a watermark “AP” can be seen on the posted video. On searching in “AP Archive” YouTube channel with keywords ‘Muharram Kashmir’, many search results were obtained. When one goes through those search results, the video posted was found among them. From the description of the video, it was found that the video shows security forces in Kashmir dispersing Muslims who took part in ‘Muharram’ procession. But, when one looks at  timestamp of the video, it was known to be uploaded on 31 July 2015. So, it is an old video and has nothing to do with the current events.
To conclude, an old video of security forces dispersing a ‘Muharram’ procession in Kashmir is being falsely shared as a recent one.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

created: September 12, 2019