text:
Video of a rally held by the Sultanpur BJP Minority Morcha in 2021 edited & shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2024
A video (here, here, here & here) allegedly showing a group of Muslim men carrying BJP flags and chanting anti-Muslim slogans is being widely shared across social media platforms. In this article, let’s authenticate the video.
Claim: Video showing Muslim men carrying BJP flags and chanting anti-Muslim slogans.
Fact: This viral video is an edited one. It shows visuals from a rally held by the BJP Minority Morcha in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in December 2021, during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022. Originally, the participants in the rally chanted slogans in support of PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. However, the original audio has been altered with anti-Muslim slogans. Sultanpur BJP Minority Morcha leaders filed a complaint with the police in March 2024 after this edited video of their rally went viral on social media. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search. This search led us to a video (archive link) featuring similar visuals uploaded on an Instagram page on 01 December 2023. In this video, we can hear people chanting slogans of “Narendra Modi, Amit Shah Zindabad”. However, this Instagram video did not provide any information regarding the rally.
During this search, we also found another video (archive link) featuring similar visuals uploaded by a Facebook user named ‘Hemant Mishra’ on 09 January 2022. In this video also, we can hear people chanting slogans of “Narendra Modi, Amit Shah Zindabad”. The video description reads: “#Sultanpur #Uttar #Pradesh the strategy of BJP Minority Morcha National President Jamal Siddiqui seems to be successful in UP”.
Upon careful observation of the viral video, we noticed a few shop name boards in Hindi such as ‘Vijay Photo State’, ‘Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan’, and ‘Hind Photo State’. Using these cues, we located the location on Vikas Bhawan Road in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Google Street View. From this information, it is evident that the viral video shows visuals of a rally that took place in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Here is a comparison of the viral video and Google Street View of Vikas Bhawan Road in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Furthermore, we conducted a relevant keyword search to learn more about this rally. This search led us to an article published in Dainik Bhaskar in March 2024. According to this report, leaders of the BJP Minority Morcha filed a complaint with the police after an edited video of their rally went viral on social media. Azadar Hussain, the Sultanpur district president of BJP Minority Morcha, stated that Home Minister Amit Shah had attended an election meeting at Awas Vikas Maidan on 28 December 2021, during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022. A rally was held during that time by the BJP Minority Morcha, during which slogans were raised in support of PM Modi, Amit Shah and CM Yogi. The video of this rally was edited and made viral with anti-religious slogans. From all this information, it is evident that the video of this rally has been edited by altering its audio with anti-Muslim slogans.
To sum up, a video of a rally held by the Sultanpur BJP Minority Morcha in 2021 has been edited and shared with a false communal narrative.


text:
Video of a rally in Jammu is falsely shared as Karni Sena support rally for Kangana Ranaut - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 11, 2020
A post with a video that shows a rally of vehicles with saffron flags is doing rounds on social media with a claim that this rally is organized by Karni Sena in Mumbai in support of Kangana Ranaut. Whereas in another post,(archived) a video of a convoy of vehicles passing through a toll plaza is being widely shared with a claim that Karni Sena is going to Mumbai in a convoy of 1000 vehicles from Rajasthan in support of Kangana Ranaut. Through this article let’s fact-check the claims made in these posts.
Video of a rally of vehicles organized by Karni Sena in support of Kangana Ranaut.
Fact: While one video is from a 2018 rally organized in Jammu on the occasion of Raja Hari Singh birth anniversary, the other video was found to be on YouTube since 2018. Hence the claim that the videos represent Karni Sena support for Kangana Ranaut in 2020 is FALSE.
Video 1:
If we closely observe, at the beginning of the video, the poster of a political party that is fixed on the bus stand can be seen where “जामू काश्मीर नेशनल पैंथर्स पार्टी ” is written along with a bicycle symbol. When we searched for the information related to the party, we found that a party with this name indeed exists in Jammu and Kashmir and the symbol of this party is the bicycle. Also, we can see a poster “YUVA RAJPUT SABHA” fixed on the bonnet of one vehicle in the convoy.
Taking a cue from all these, when we searched on YouTube with the keywords “YUVA RAJPUT SABHA” we found the same video on a YouTube channel called ‘Vishal Singh’. This video is uploaded on YouTube on 25 October 2018 and the show more section of the video reads “YUVA RAJPUT SABHA organize a rally in the occasion of maha raja hari singh ji birthday…..”. Also, the location is mentioned as JAMMU.
Google search with the keywords ‘Raja Hari Singh Birth anniversary Jammu Kashmir’ we found few 2018 news articles which reported this rally. These articles can be read here, here and here. A 2018 news video reporting the celebrations of Raja Hari Singh birth anniversary is also found. So, we can infer that rallies are organized on Raja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary every year in Jammu. With all this, we can conclude that an old video from Jammu, related to a rally organized on the occasion of Raja Hari Singh birth anniversary is being shared as video of a rally organized by Karni Sena in support of Kangana Ranaut.
Video 2:
Reverse image search of the video led us to a blog in which the same video is featured.  This video is posted on this blog three years ago. The description of the video reads ‘Sher Singh Rana has come to Rajasthan with 1000+ trains! Sher Singh Rana Coming With 1000+ Cars’. Further, we found the same video on Youtube which is uploaded on 08 April 2018 and the description of the video reads ‘Raja Bhaiya convoy with Rajasthani army (Rajasthan) – Desiyoungstar’. With all this, we can conclude that this video is found on the internet from at least three years and has nothing to do with Kangana Ranaut.
In the light of Karni Sena’s support to Kangana Ranaut in the ongoing tussle between her and Maharashtra government over her comments comparing Mumbai with PoK, videos like the ones in the post are being widely shared on social media platforms.
To sum it up, unrelated old videos are being passed off as Karni Sena rally in support of Kangan Ranaut.

source: news-factly

created: September 11, 2020

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


text:
Video of a rowdy sheeter being killed in Bangalore is falsely shared as violence against Muslims in Tripura - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 1, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that people from the Sangh Parivar were thrashing Muslims in Tripura. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of people from Sangh Parivar thrashing Muslims in Tripura.
Fact: The video actually shows the killing of a rowdy sheeter in Ashok Nagar, Bangalore. The incident happened on the night of 20 April 2021 when a gang attacked the victim with lethal weapons and escaped. Protest rallies were taken out by religious organisations in Tripura, against the vandalism of temples and Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh on 15 October 2021. During some of these rallies, miscreants reportedly vandalised several houses, shops, and a mosque. This video has gone viral amidst such reports of violence in Tripura. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same video was found in an article published on 26 April 2021. The article, which is written in Kannada says that a rowdy sheeter named Ravi Varma alias Appu (30) was murdered by a rowdy sheeter Dinesh and another gang in Bangalore’s Ashoka Nagar area. Even according to ETV Bharat’s Facebook post, the video of the rowdy sheeter’s assassination went viral on social media.
Taking a cue from the ETV Bharat article, several news reports about the incident were found when searched on google with relevant keywords. According to an article by The Hindu, Ravi Verma was a habitual offender who was stabbed to death in front of his house in Ashok Nagar, Bangalore. Ravi Verma alias Appu (30) was a rowdy sheeter in Vivek Nagar police station who was hacked to death in Ashok Nagar police station limits. The incident happened on the night of 20 April 2021 when a gang attacked the victim with lethal weapons and escaped.
Protest rallies were taken out by religious organisations in Tripura, against the vandalism of temples and Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh on 15 October 2021. During some of these rallies, miscreants reportedly vandalised several houses, shops, and a mosque. This video has gone viral amidst such reports of violence in Tripura.
To sum it up, a video of a rowdy sheeter being killed in Bangalore is falsely shared as violence against Muslims in Tripura.

created: November 1, 2021


text:
Video of a scuffle in Jordanian parliament misattributed as an attack on an Israeli Official - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2023
A video currently circulating on social media portrays an altercation between a group of men. It is being shared with a claim that it shows an Israeli official being beaten. This article is a fact check of this claim.
Claim: Video of an Israeli official being beaten.
Fact: The viral video in question shows an altercation involving Jordanian parliamentarians from 2021, and has nothing to do with any Israeli official. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To determine the veracity of the video, a reverse image search on keyframes from the viral clip was conducted. This led to the discovery of several news reports from December 2021 (here, here, and here) concerning a tumultuous event in the Jordanian Parliament characterised by heated arguments, which ultimately resulted in a fistfight.
The Guardian described the incident in an article, stating, “Scuffles broke out in Jordan’s parliament where lawmakers were discussing a proposed amendment to the constitution on Tuesday. Heated arguments degenerated when MPs began pushing and shoving each other during the session in Amman”.
This investigation clearly disproves the social media claim that the video represents an Israeli official being attacked.
To sum up, the viral video featuring a scuffle between men in suits does not show an Israeli official under attack but rather a fistfight from the Jordanian Parliament from December 2021.

created: November 14, 2023


text:
Video of a self-moving step ladder misinterpreted as paranormal activity at the Jharkhand High Court - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 30, 2023
A video depicting a step ladder moving on its own within an enclosed room is currently circulating widely on social media. Posting the video, users claimed that this event occurred at the Jharkhand High Court and is being presented as an instance of paranormal activity. Let’s examine and verify the assertion put forth in the post.
Claim: Visuals depicting a paranormal activity at the Jharkhand High Court, wherein a step ladder moves on its own.
Fact: Media reports have confirmed that this incident did not occur at the Jharkhand High Court. Though we were unable to trace the location of the incident, the phenomenon of a step ladder appearing to move independently is not uncommon, as numerous demonstrations exist. Placing the ladder on a slope and giving it a gentle push can induce a rocking motion reminiscent of passive dynamic walkers’ pendulum-like movement. This rocking action, coupled with the slope, leads to a gradual descent as potential energy converts to kinetic energy. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search conducted on the keyframes extracted from the viral video has indicated that the same video was previously linked (here & here) to the G. Tiwari Government Base Hospital in Almora, Uttarakhand. Nevertheless, the hospital’s administration has clarified that no such incident took place within their premises. They further informed the media that they intend to file a complaint with the police against individuals who are disseminating such videos and causing unwarranted panic among patients.
After the Advocates’ Association conducted a multi-faith worship ceremony at Jharkhand’s new High Court complex, rumours of the place being haunted started circulating. This happened because some lawyers said that prayers were performed to keep away evil spirits. As a result, the viral video was also linked to this event. However, both the Advocates’ Association Secretary, Navin Kumar, and Advocate Dheeraj Kumar denied all these claims. Discrediting the rumours, they explained that the prayers were just regular rituals done when moving into a new workplace. One can find media reports about this here, here, and here.
While we were unable to determine the exact location of the video, we discovered numerous videos (here, here and here)  on the internet showcasing similar instances of step ladders moving on their own. One demonstration video depicts a man giving the ladder a gentle push, after which the ladder begins to walk downhill.
The phenomenon of a step ladder seemingly moving on its own can be explained by its mechanical structure, the incline of the surface it’s on, and external influences. This motion shares similarities with the concept of passive dynamic walking, observed in systems like simple bipedal robots or toys. In passive dynamic walking, mechanical design and gravity are harnessed to achieve a walking-like gait without active control or energy input. When the ladder is placed on a slope and given a slight nudge, its rocking motion can resemble the pendulum-like movement seen in passive dynamic walkers. This rocking motion, in conjunction with the incline, initiates a gradual downward movement as potential energy transforms into kinetic energy. This behaviour follows the laws of physics and mechanical dynamics, demonstrating how simple systems can exhibit intricate motions when influenced by gravity and external factors, akin to the principles of passive dynamic walking.
To sum it up, a video showing a step ladder moving due to the principles of physics is being shared as if it were a paranormal activity at the Jharkhand High Court.


text:
Video of a South Korean Military demonstration is shared as that of Indian Army’s - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 24, 2022
A video of armed forces demonstrating combat skills is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows the Indian Army. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Indian Army’s demonstration combat skills.
Fact: Visuals belong to a South Korean Military demonstration at 69 Korean Armed Forces Day celebrated on 28 September 2017. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We ran a Reverse Image search on the Keyframes extracted from the viral video clip and found a similar video uploaded on ‘Arirang News’ YouTube channel on 28 September 2017. The title of the video says, “Korea’s 69th Armed Forces Day ceremony”.
We then compared the visuals of both the videos and found that the viral video is an accelerated zoomed-in version made by combining multiple visuals (from 1:38:24 to 1:39:06) of the original video. Also, Korean flag can be seen on the arm of a demonstrator in both videos.
Even though Indian Military conducts demonstrations during various occasions, the viral video is not related to Indian Army.
To sum it up, the visuals of South Korean Military Demonstration at 69Korean Armed Forces Day are shared as that of Indian Army’s.


text:
Video of a street food vendor adding his urine to water is shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 30, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the person adding his urine to water is a Muslim. The post even claims that the person urinated in a jug and then added this to drinking water. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of muslim street food vendor adding his urine to drinking water.
Fact: According to the officials at Bharalumukh Police Station in Guwahati, the person in the video is a Hindu and not a Muslim. A ‘Puchka’ (Panipuri) vendor was arrested in Guwahati after the video went viral on social media where he was seen adding his urine into a vessel. The accused was arrested by Bharalumukh police and was identified as Akrul Sahini. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, an article with the same image was found. The article published on 19 August 2021 was titled, “Guwahati: Street Food Hawker Picked Up By Police For Allegedly Urinating On Utensils.” According to the article, with the video going viral online, the Guwahati police took cognisance of the matter and picked up the street food hawker. The hawker’s identity was not revealed till then, and the matter was under investigation.
Taking the cue that the video is from Guwahati, news articles about the same incident were found from google search with relevant keywords. The ‘Puchka’ (Panipuri) vendor was arrested for adding urine to water. The accused was arrested by Bharalumukh police, and he was identified as Akrul Sahini. The accused was a resident of the Bhootnath area, and the Panipuri stall was set up in the Athgaon area in Guwahati. The investigation is still going on.
Aajtak had written a fact-check article about the same video. They had contacted the officer in charge of the Bharalumukh police station, Jyoti Lahana. Jyoti Lahana had refuted the claim made in the post and confirmed that the accused is a Hindu and not a Muslim.
To sum it up, a video of a street food vendor adding his urine to water is shared with a false communal narrative.


text:
Video of a suicide incident from Gurugram shared as the visuals of a transgender being brutally hanged to death by Bangladeshi Muslims - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 10, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that at Sector 108 in Dharampur in Gurgaon or Gurugram, Bangladesh Muslims brutally killed a transgender in Taliban style. The video shows a woman hanging onto a balcony grill of a house. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a transgender woman who was being brutally hanged to death by Bangladesh Muslims in Gurgaon.
Fact: The Gurgaon police through a tweet clarified that the transgender shown in the video had committed suicide due to illness in the Rajendra Park area in Gurugram, Haryana. Gurgaon police emphasized in the tweet that the incident was not a murder and said it had nothing to do with Bangladesh Muslims. Hence, the video shared in the post is False.
When we searched the internet for the details of the incident using relevant keywords, we could not find any news report informing that a group of Bangladeshi Muslim men killed a transgender in Gurgaon.
Upon searching for further details, we found a tweet from the Gurugram Police related to this video circulating on social media. The Gurgaon police through a tweet clarified that the video shows a transgender who committed suicide due to illness recently in the Rajendra Park area in Gurgaon. The Gurgaon Police said that the incident took place on 03 July 2023 and said that a case was registered related to this incident in the Rajendra Park police station. The Gurgaon police dismissed the social media rumours attributed to the video, reiterating that the incident was not a murder, and confirmed that it had nothing to do with Bangladesh Muslims. The ‘Inshorts’ news site has also reported this clarification issued by the Gurugram police.
यह घटना 3 जुलाई 2023 की है जब थाना राजेंद्रा पार्क एरिया में रहने वाली प्रिया नामक किन्नर की सहेली ने पुलिस को सूचित किया था कि प्रिया ने बीमारी से तंग आकर आत्महत्या कर ली थी। इस पर थाना राजेंद्र पार्क द्वारा 174 CrPC की कार्रवाई की गई है। हत्या करने की बात असत्य है।
Speaking to ‘Boom Live’, Rajendra Park police station Inspector Pankaj said, “It is a case of suicide. She is a transperson, her name is Priya. She was troubled by her illness. Her post-mortem has also been done. This is not a case of murder by a Bangladeshi Muslim.” This article will be updated once the FIR is uploaded on the Haryana Police website. Rajendra Park police station SHO confirmed to us also that the incident was indeed a case of suicide. The SHO refuted the social media rumours of Bangladesh Muslims being involved in this incident.
To sum it up, a video of a suicide incident from Gurugram shared as the visuals of a transgender being brutally hanged to death by Bangladesh Muslims.


text:
Video of a swarm of birds seen outside a supermarket is from Texas (USA), not from Saudi Arabia - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 29, 2020
A video is being widely shared with the claim that thousands of crows have descended on a supermarket in Saudi Arabia. In the video, a swarm of birds is seen in the parking lot of a supermarket. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of crows attack at a supermarket in Saudi Arabia.
Fact: The video shows a swarm of Blackbirds outside a supermarket in Texas (USA). Also, the incident happened in 2016. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search technique, the same video was found to be uploaded in April 2020 by a YouTube channel ‘Viral Hog’. In the description of the video, it is mentioned that the incident took place at H-Mart in Carrollton, Texas (USA) in December 2016. We searched for that mart on Google maps and compared the street view, it matched with the mart located in Texas (USA).
To summarize, the video of a swarm of birds seen outside a supermarket is from Texas (USA), not from Saudi Arabia.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of a teacher misbehaving with a student was taken in a school at Bagalkot, not at DPS Rajbagh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 16, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the teacher in the video belongs to Delhi Public School (DPS), Rajbagh. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of DPS-Rajbagh’s teacher misbehaving with a student.
Fact: The video is not related to DPS, Rajbagh. The incident took place in a school at Bagalkot (Karnataka) in May 2019 and the teacher has been already arrested. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the post, the description of the video itself is confusing. It says “Valsad’s DPS School” but continues to say “DPS School Rajbagh Teacher”. Rajbagh is in Jammu and Kashmir whereas Valsad is in Gujarat. When searched on Google with keywords ‘Valsad DPS School Rajbagh’, it was found that a similar description was added to many viral videos previously.  Some of them have been already fact-checked, which can be read here and here. Let’s check whether the video in the post belongs to DPS Rajbagh.
The video in the post is divided into frames using Invid Plugin and the images are run through Google Reverse Image Search. It can be found that a news website published the same video in May-2019. According to the Survana News, the incident took place in a school at Bagalkot (Karnataka), not in Valsad or Rajbagh. Also, the teacher involved was already arrested under the POCSO (Prevention of Child from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012.
To sum it up, the video of a teacher misbehaving with a student was taken in a school at Bagalkot, not at DPS Rajbagh.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


text:
Video of a temple turned into a Meat Store in Pakistan is shared as being from Wayanad, Kerala - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 1, 2024
A video featuring a temple with a meat store inside is being shared on social media (here, here, and here) with the claim that “In Wayanad, Kerala, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra had registered the occupation of Muslims on Shri Sitaram Temple four years ago. Now the congress Brahmin Kshatriyas must have become happy. Everyone should vote for BJP only.” Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi helped Muslims encroach Shri Ram temple and establish a meat store within the temple premises in Wayanad, Kerala.
Fact: The video shows ‘Sitaram Temple’ located in Ahmadpur Sial, Pakistan. This temple was built a century ago and is of historical and cultural significance. Locals were outraged after a video of this place went viral showing the conversion of the historic Sitaram Temple in Ahmadpur Sial into a meat store. It has nothing to do with Kerala or India. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On conducting a reverse image search using the keyframes of the video, we found that a Pakistani news channel shared a video in 2022, calling the building the ‘Sitaram Temple’ in Ahmadpur Sial. They mentioned that the temple, existing before Pakistan’s independence, has decayed due to neglect.
On further search, we found news reports (here, here, and here) featuring the image of the temple. As per these reports, this temple was built a century ago and is of historical and cultural significance. The reports also mentioned that locals were outraged after a video of this place went viral showing the conversion of the historic Sitaram Temple in Ahmadpur Sial into a meat store. They highlighted that the video illustrates the challenges faced by minorities in Pakistan.
Taking clues from these reports, we searched Google Maps for this location and found identical images of the temple. A comparison between the Image on Google Maps and the viral video can be seen below.
To sum up, video of a temple turned into a Meat Store in Pakistan is shared as being from Wayanad, Kerala


text:
Video of a train torched in Bihar is being shared as visuals from Secunderabad in Telangana - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a train torched in Secunderabad (Telangana) by the people protesting the Agnipath scheme for armed forces. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a train torched in Secunderabad (Telangana) by the people protesting the Agnipath scheme.
Fact: While it is true that a train has been torched at the Secunderabad railway station in Telangana, the posted visuals are from Bihar. So, the video is not related to Secunderabad. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, many similar visuals were found in the search results. It was found that ‘IYC Telangana’.  ‘India Today’ also used the same visuals while writing about the Secunderabad incident.
However, ‘ANI’ has published the same visuals as related to Luckeesarai Junction in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district. The tweet made by ‘ANI’ on the incident can be seen here.
Bihar: Agitating against #AgnipathRecruitmentScheme, protesters set a train ablaze at Luckeesarai Junction.
"They were stopping me from shooting a video & even snatched away my phone. 4-5 compartments affected. Passengers alighted & managed to proceed on their own," Police say. pic.twitter.com/bcxUchBpXy
Many other news agencies have posted multiple other visuals of that railway station in Bihar. Some of them can be seen here, here, here, here, and here. Also, the ‘Lakhisarai khabar’ Facebook page has posted multiple videos from that place. So, the posted video is from Bihar.
However, it is true that a train has been torched at the Secunderabad railway station in Telangana. The actual visuals of the Secunderabad incident can be seen here.
#WATCH | Telangana: Secunderabad railway station vandalised and a train set ablaze by agitators who are protesting against #AgnipathRecruitmentScheme. pic.twitter.com/2llzyfT4XG
To sum it up, a video of a train torched in Bihar is being shared as visuals from Secunderabad in Telangana.


text:
Video of a Trainer Testing Alertness of a Sleeping Soldier is from Thailand, Not India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 7, 2023
A video is circulating on social media showing a trainer attempting to snatch a gun from a sleeping soldier, while the soldier resists. The video claims to depict the alertness of a sleeping soldier undergoing training for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video displaying the alertness of a Central Reserve police Force (CRPF) soldier in India.
Fact: This video is from Thailand. It shows the trainer testing the alertness of a sleeping Thai soldier. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral video, we were able to locate the original and full-length video, which was published by a TikTok account based in Thailand in May 2022. The accompanying description identifies the individuals in the video as Thai soldiers (Black Army).
Moreover, in the video, the trainer’s jersey prominently displays Thailand’s flag along with the text ‘New Recruit Training Unit’.
Furthermore, the full video reveals that the trainer does, in fact, manage to snatch the gun from another sleeping soldier/trainee at a later point. It’s important to note that military training in different countries often involves various tests and exercises aimed at assessing soldiers’ ability to maintain situational awareness even while sleeping or resting. These tests are designed to evaluate their readiness and responsiveness in unpredictable situations.
To sum it up, the viral video of a trainer testing the alertness of a sleeping soldier is from Thailand and not from India.


text:
Video of a truck crashing into a helicopter in Brazil is shared as that from Amritsar, India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 24, 2020
A video of a truck hitting a helicopter that is about to take off is being shared on Facebook claiming that the incident took place in Amritsar, India. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of a truck crashing into a helicopter in Amritsar, India.
Fact: The incident in the video happened in Rio Branco of Brazil, not in Amritsar (India). Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we subjected the screenshots of the video to reverse image search technique, many search results of Brazilian websites were obtained in the search results and they can be seen here and here. As per those articles, the incident in the video happened in Rio Branco city of Brazil.
With the above information, when we searched on Google with keywords, an article of ‘Daily Mail’ with the same video was found. The information in the article corroborated that that incident happened in Rio Branco Brazil.
To sum it up, video of a truck hitting a helicopter in Brazil is shared as an incident in Amritsar, India.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of a truck ramming into cars on a Russian highway is being shared as an accident on Mysuru Road - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 29, 2020
A video of a truck ramming into cars on a highway is being shared on Facebook claiming that the incident happened on Mysuru road near Kangeri in Karnataka. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of an accident on Mysuru road in Karnataka.
Fact: Video shows an accident on a highway in Russia, not on Mysuru road (Karnataka). The accident occurred on the ‘M-5’ highway that connects Russian cities Moscow and Chelyabinsk. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the image were subjected to reverse image search technique, a video of ‘Ruptly’ was obtained in the search results. As per ‘Ruptly’, the accident took place on ‘M-5’ highway at Chelyabinsk city in Russia. ‘M-5’ highway runs between the Russian cities Moscow and Chelyabinsk. In the accident, two people were reported to have been killed and seven others were injured.
Multiple other news reports about the accident in the video can be found here, here and here.
To sum it up, video of a truck ramming into cars on a Russian highway is being shared as on a Mysuru road in Karnataka.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of a two-wheeler explosion due to firecrackers is shared as that of an electric scooter explosion - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the explosion visuals of a two-wheeler electric motor vehicle. Let’ verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing the explosion visuals of a two-wheeler electric motor vehicle.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a recent incident of a two-wheeler explosion in Tamil Nadu. This explosion was caused when country firecrackers, being carried by a man and his 7-year-old son, exploded near Kottakuppam in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. Villupuram district police officials have confirmed to media that the explosion was caused because of the heat caused by friction. Villupuram SP Shreenatha had dismissed the claim that the accident was caused because it is an electric vehicle. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing carefully, we could see the ‘PTC NEWS’ channel logo on the top-right side of the video. When we searched for this video on the ‘PTC NEWS’ channel official social media platforms, we found the same video published on the ‘PTC NEWS’ official Facebook page on 06 November 2021. This video was published with the description, “Horrific death of father and son brought by firecrackers, huge explosion”. On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video using these keywords, a video with similar visuals was found in an article published by the ‘NDTV’ on 05 November 2021. ‘NDTV’ reported it as the visuals of a two-wheeler explosion in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district on 04 November 2021.
Reporting the complete details of this accident, several Tamil news websites have published articles on 04 November 2021. They can be seen here, here, and here. According to the details reported in these articles, Kalainesan (37) was riding his two-wheeler, taking his son, Pradeesh, and a bag full of country crackers allegedly manufactured by him with the help of his father-in-law at Ariankuppam. When the vehicle reached the boundary between Puducherry and Kottakuppam, the crackers exploded and both father and son duo were killed on the spot.
Speaking to the ‘Indian Express’, Villupuram SP Shreenatha said, “Kalainesan had bought two bags of “Naattu Pattasu” (country crackers) from Puducherry on November 3 and had kept it at his in-laws’ house. On November 4, he took one bag from Koonimedu and was riding towards Puducherry when the accident took place. The crackers might have exploded due to heat caused by friction. The police have seized a gunny bag of country crackers from Koonimedu and have registered a case under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Act”.
‘The Quint’ had contacted Villupuram SP Shreenatha to get clarification regarding the social media post claiming the two-wheeler involved in this incident was an electric vehicle. SP Shreenatha reportedly dismissed the claim that the accident was caused due to an electric vehicle and said that the firecrackers were the reason for the blast.
To sum it up, video of a two-wheeler explosion caused due to firecrackers is being shared as the explosion of an electric motor vehicle.

created: November 15, 2021


text:
Video of a Vasavi Devi temple in Andhra Pradesh is being falsely shared as visuals of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 21, 2024
A post featuring a video of a few people pushing to open a large grand door of a temple is widely circulating across social media platforms, claiming that the video depicts visuals of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing visuals of Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
Fact: The viral video does not depict the visuals of Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Instead, it shows the visuals of Vasavi Rushigotra Suvarna Mandiram located in Penugonda, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Furthermore, the large idol in this temple is of the goddess ‘Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To authenticate the viral video, we performed a Google reverse image search on the internet using the keyframes from the video. This search directed us to a Facebook video (Archive link) titled “Penugonda Vasavamba Darshanam,” uploaded on 14 May 2019 by ‘Vasavi Shanthi Dham Penugonda’, which displays visuals resembling the door of the temple depicted in the viral video.
Taking a cue from this, we conducted an internet search using relevant keywords to gather more information about this temple. This search led us to a news report by Business Standard. According to the report, the temple named Vasavi Rushigotra Suvarna Mandiram is situated in the Penugonda area of the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh and was inaugurated on 15 February 2019. It boasts a 90-feet-tall statue of Vasavi Devi made of 65,000 kg alloy. Additionally, the news agency ANI (Archive link) reported on the inauguration of this temple and uploaded a news report video on 16 February 2019.
Subsequently, we have also located the temple on Google Maps and found a few images of the temple. By comparing these images with the visuals of the viral video, it becomes clear that this video depicts scenes of a temple in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, the huge idol installed in this temple is of the goddess ‘Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari’.
To sum it up, video of a temple in Andhra Pradesh is being falsely shared as visuals of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.


text:
Video of a Weeping Child pilgrim seeking police to help find his father in Sabarimala shared with a misleading narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 13, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that the visuals show the plight of Hindu devotees in Kerala, where even the young pilgrims were taken into custody by the Kerala police. The footage shows a young Ayyappa devotee crying with folded hands in front of police. A few users tweeted the video explicitly claiming that the boy was taken into custody by the Kerala police. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a young Hindu pilgrim being taken into custody by the Kerala police.
Fact: The footage shows a weeping child pilgrim urging police to locate his father, who reportedly got separated from him in the crowded area of Nilakkal. The child was reunited with his father immediately by the police. The presence of the KSRTC logo on the bus indicates that the child was on a Kerala government bus, not in a police van. The video does not show Kerala police taking a child pilgrim into custody and there is no communal angle to the incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
When we searched for the video using relevant keywords, we found the same video in a tweet published by the ‘Asianet Newsable’ on 12 December 2023. This news channel reported it as the heart-wrenching visuals of a crying child pilgrim seeking help to find his father in Sabarimala.
Sabarimala rush: Heart-wrenching video of crying child seeking help to find his father emerges; WATCH
.#Sabrimala #ViralVideo #Darshan #LordAyyappa #Pandalam #Nilakkal pic.twitter.com/GqJLkVSiNr
‘Asianet News’ published an article reporting the complete details of the incident. According to the article, the footage shows a child weeping in front of police to locate his father, who was lost in the crowd at Nilakkal. The extended version of the video found on the ‘Asianet News’’ official YouTube channel, shows the child’s father coming to the bus immediately, and the child even waving his hand to bid goodbye.
Speaking about the incident to the media, a police officer at the Sannidhanam police station said, “The child in the viral video was reunited with his father. The video was cropped by some sections to hide the truth.”
In the extended version of the video, the child was seen boarding a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus with the number plate KL-15 A-814. The logo of KSRTC on the bus confirms that the child was sitting in a KSRTC bus, not in a police van as claimed in a few posts. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows a child seeking police help to locate his father, reportedly separated from him in Sabarimala.
To sum it up, a video of a child pilgrim seeking police help to find his father in Sabarimala is shared with a misleading narrative.

created: December 13, 2023


text:
వీధి కుక్కలు వెంబడించడంతో ద్విచక్రవాహనంపై వెళ్తున్న మహిళ కంగారులో కారుని ఢీ కొట్టిన ఈ ఘటన హైదరాబాద్‌కు సంబంధించినది కాదు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 5, 2023
హైదరాబాద్ గాంధీ నగర్ కాలనీలో వీధి కుక్కలు వెంబడించడంతో ద్విచక్రవాహనంపై వెళ్తున్న మహిళ కంగారులో పార్క్ చేసి ఉన్న కారుని ఢీ కొట్టి ఎగిరిపడిన దృశ్యాలంటూ సోషల్ మీడియాలో ఒక వీడియో షేర్ అవుతుంది. ఆ పోస్టులో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో చూద్దాం
క్లెయిమ్: హైదరాబాద్ గాంధీ నగర్ కాలనీలో కుక్కలు వెంబడించడంతో ద్విచక్రవాహనంపై వెళ్తున్న మహిళ కంగారులో కారుని ఢీ కొట్టి గాయపడిన దృశ్యాలు.
ఫాక్ట్ (నిజం): వీడియోలోని ఘటన ఒడిషా రాష్ట్రంలోని బెహ్రంపూర్ నగరంలో చోటుచేసుకుంది. ఈ ఘటన హైదరాబాద్ నగరంలో చోటుచేసుకోలేదు. కావున, పోస్టులో చేస్తున్న క్లెయిమ్ తప్పు.
పోస్టులో షేర్ చేసిన వీడియో కోసం కీ పదాలను ఉపయోగించి ఇంటర్నెట్లో వెతికితే, ఇవే దృశ్యాలు కలిగిన వీడియోని ప్రెస్ ట్రస్ట్ ఆఫ్ ఇండియా(PTI) వార్తా సంస్థ 03 ఏప్రిల్ 2023 నాడు ట్వీట్ చేసినట్టు తెలిసింది. ఒడిషా రాష్ట్రంలోని బెహ్రంపూర్ నగరంలో ద్విచక్రవాహనంపై వెళ్తున్న మహిళలను కుక్కలు వెంబడించడంతో వారు కంగారులో పార్క్ చేసి ఉన్న కారుని ఢీ కొట్టి ఎగిరి పడిన దృశ్యాలంటూ ఈ వీడియోని షేర్ చేస్తూ PTI రిపోర్ట్ చేసింది.
Caught on Camera | Scared of being bitten by stray dogs, a woman rammed her scooty into a car parked on the side of the road in Berhampur city in Odisha. Both women and the child sustained multiple injuries in the incident. pic.twitter.com/F5h8wtCFHy
ఈ వీడియోలోని ఘటన ఒడిషా రాష్ట్రంలోని బెహ్రంపూర్ నగరంలో చోటుచేసుకుందని పలు వార్తా సంస్థలు రిపోర్ట్ చేశాయి. ఈ ప్రమాదం హైదరాబాద్ నగరంలో చోటుచేసుకోలేదని తెలంగాణ ప్రభుత్వ ఫాక్ట్-చెక్ ట్విట్టర్ హ్యాండిల్ కూడా ట్వీట్ చేసింది.
#FakeNewsAlert
"కుక్కలు వెంటపడ్డాయి.. స్కూటీ నుండి ఎగిరి పడ్డారు" అన్నశీర్షికతో హైదరాబాద్ గాంధీనగర్‌లో జరిగినట్టు తప్పుడు సమాచారం ఇస్తూ  వీడియోతో కూడిన ఒక న్యూస్ క్లిప్ @way2_news యాప్‌లో పబ్లిష్ అయ్యింది. నిజానికి ఈ సంఘటన ఒడిషాలోని బెహ్రంపూర్‌లో జరిగింది. pic.twitter.com/mN2z2VsHJH
ఈ ఘటన హైదరాబాద్ నగరంలో చోటుచేసుకుందని మొట్టమొదట రిపోర్ట్ చేసిన ‘Way2News’ పోర్టల్ తాము రిపోర్ట్ చేసిన సమాచారం తప్పని, ఈ ఘటన ఒడిషా రాష్ట్రంలో చోటుచేసుకుందని స్పష్టం చేస్తూ ట్వీట్ పెట్టింది.
చివరగా, వీధి కుక్కలు వెంబడించడంతో ద్విచక్రవాహనంపై వెళ్తున్న మహిళ కంగారులో కారుని ఢీ కొట్టిన ఈ వీడియో హైదరాబాద్‌కు సంబంధించినది కాదు.


text:
Video of a woman sitting on a link between two train bogies is old and not related to India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 18, 2020
A video of a woman holding a child and travelling by sitting on a link between two train bogies is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the plight of migrants during the lockdown in the country. While the plight of migrant workers during the lockdown in true, FACTLY has found that the posted video is not related to the current lockdown in the country. The same video was found to be circulating on the internet at least since 2016. Also, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that the video is old and it is related to Bangladesh.
Sources:
Claim – Tweet (archived)
Fact –
1. YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uN8-DAlNfs
2. PIB tweet – https://twitter.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1262350162606710785
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of a woman with a genetic disorder is being falsely peddled as a video of a victim of Israel’s phosphorus bomb - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 12, 2024
A post featuring a video showing a woman’s face with injuries (appearing to be burn injuries) is being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that she is a victim of Israel’s phosphorus bomb attack during their recent attacks on Palestine. This article aims to fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The video depicts a woman who has suffered facial injuries due to Israel’s phosphorus bomb attacks on Palestine.
Fact: The woman in the video is Shaima, she is from Fes, a city in Morocco, and she is suffering from a rare genetic skin disease called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP). She is not a victim of Israel’s phosphorus bomb attack on Palestine. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon close examination of the viral video, it becomes apparent that the woman in the video is smiling and not expressing pain. We also noticed a watermark of an Instagram account “@airisputr8”. We then found the viral video was shared by this account on 09 February 2024. The Instagram post, however, did not provide any information about the video or the woman featured in it. Upon checking the comments, we found that one user mentioned that the woman is Moroccan, suffering from a genetic disease, and the video showcases the logo of a Moroccan charity organization called Moon voice.
Drawing a clue from this, we found that the viral video was originally shared by Ahmed Zainoun on Instagram on 05 February 2024, in collaboration with Moon Voice Association. While sharing the video, Ahmed Zainoun, the founder, and President of the Moon Voice Association, wrote, “How can we resist the pain of these children? How can we abandon when we are their hope? How can we hide while the disease is ravaging their bodies? We promised ourselves to fight for them, and here we are, walking on the promise and fulfilling it.”.
Moon Voice Association is a Moroccan organization that helps children and adults with Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP). XP is a rare genetic disorder characterized by extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, both from sunlight and certain artificial lighting. The condition primarily affects the eyes and areas of the skin exposed to the sun, leading to premature aging and blindness. Individuals with XP are at a higher risk of developing multiple skin cancers throughout their lives. Due to the necessity for those with XP to avoid sunlight and UV rays, they are sometimes referred to as ‘children of the moon.’ Moon Voice Association offers support and protective measures for individuals in Morocco affected by XP, including the provision of UV-filtering masks.
Subsequently, we also found that both accounts had shared several videos (here & here) of children suffering from this skin disease, along with more videos of the woman in the viral video. According to the caption of one such post, the woman is Shaima, from Fes, a city in Morocco. From all this information, it is evident that the viral video depicts a woman suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disorder.
To sum it up, a video depicting a woman with a genetic disorder is being falsely peddled as a video showing a victim of Israel’s phosphorus bomb.


text:
This video from Bihar neither has a communal angle nor is linked to the UP Elections (2022) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2022
Update (15 MARCH 2022):
The same old video is being shared again with another claim that it shows the violence in Uttar Pradesh after BJP won the 2022 Assembly Election in the state. Neither the video is from Uttar Pradesh, nor it is a recent incident. So, the claim made in the post is not correct.
Update (OCTOBER 11, 2019):
A disturbing video of a man being beaten by a few individuals is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the man was beaten by RSS men chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the claim made in this post.
A similar video related to the same incident is also being shared with another version that the man seen beating in the video is a BJP leader and he was beating a man from a backward community.
RSS men killed a youth in Bihar and left chanting Jhai Shree Ram.
Fact: The man being beaten by the mob is Sahil Raiyan and he was attacked when he tried to escape after shooting Madhav Singh in a land-related dispute. So, the claim is FALSE.
When searched on Google with relevant keywords, an article of ‘India Today’ about the incident was found. As per the story- ‘The son of Bhabua ward councilor allegedly shot a man, who succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in the city in Bihar’s Kaimur district. After this the accused, ward councilor’s son, was brutally thrashed by a mob of locals in broad daylight in front of the police. The incident took place in Shivaji Chowk area of Bhabua’. The article added – ‘The man was admitted to Kaimur Sadar Hospital in a critical condition. Kaimur SP said the deceased was shot over an internal matter with the accused’.
According to the report of Prabhat Khabar, the people present at the scene grabbed and thrashed the son of the Bhabua town’s ward councilor on the charge of shooting Madhav Singh.
During the search process, it was found that the man who shot Madhav Singh was Sahil Raiyan (ward councilor’s son). In the post, it is being claimed that the man beaten by the mob, i.e. Raiyan, is dead. But, when FACTLY has contacted Kaimur (Bhabua) SP, he has clarified that Raiyan is alive and is in jail.
An FIR was filed based on the statement by the aunt of the deceased Madhav Sinh and it states that her nephew was shot with a pistol by Sahil Raiyan in a ‘land-related dispute’ and had lost his life in this incident. In the FIR, she went on to mention that when Raiyan tried to escape from the sight after shooting, the mob there have caught him and beaten him.
Bhabua Police have filed an FIR about this incident and it states that bullets were fired in an incident of mutual rivalry and Sahil Raiyan was attacked by the crowd when he tried to escape from the shooting sight.
In both of these FIRs, there is no mention regarding the connection of any political party with this incident. Also, when ‘Alt News’ contacted Bhabua police regarding the incident, they were told that there is no communal angle to the crime and it is related to some land dispute affair.
To conclude, a video of a youth beaten by few individuals in Bihar is being falsely shared with a communal narrative.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?


text:
Video of an ‘anti-terror attack’ mock drill is being shared as ‘Coronavirus jihadists arrested in UP’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2020
A video is being shared on Facebook with the claim that UP Police caught ‘Coronavirus jihadists’ at Chor Bazaar. Let’s analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of Uttar Pradesh Police catching ‘Coronavirus jihadists’ at Chor Bazaar.
Fact: The video is that of an ‘anti-terror attack’ mock drill conducted by the Bikapur Police in Ayodhya (UP). So, the claim is FALSE.
In the video, a board with the text ‘Chor Bazaar- Faizabad’ can be seen. So, when searched on the Twitter account of ‘Ayodhya Police’, a tweet by them regarding the video was found. In that tweet made on 5 April 2020, upon asked by a user to clarify the context of the video, the Ayodhya Police clarified that it is a ‘demo’ video. They also attached another tweet, dated 4 April 2020, with the information that the video is a part of an ‘anti-terror demo’. In another tweet of Ayodhya Police, they enclosed a news report of that mock drill conducted up by the Bikapur Police.
#UPPInNews #UPPolice #ayodhyapolice @Uppolice @dgpup @adgzonelucknow @igrangeayodhya @IpsAshish #IndiaFightsCorona #lockdown21days #IndiaFightsCoronavirushttps://t.co/kYx5QDkW33 pic.twitter.com/VRzXtiZ4wc
To sum it up, a video of an ‘anti-terror attack’ mock drill is being shared as ‘Coronavirus jihadists arrested in UP’.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of an assault on Woman volunteer of an NGO is being shared with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 22, 2020
A post with a video is being shared with the claim that a Hindu extremist group has beaten up a woman Muslim doctor named Ayesha accusing that her community is spreading coronavirus in India. In the video, the woman is seen to be severely injured. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Hindu extremist group attacked a Muslim woman doctor accusing that her community is responsible for spreading coronavirus in India.
Fact: The woman is neither a doctor nor the group which attacked her is affiliated to any Hindu extremist group. The video shows attack on NGO volunteers who are empanelled by North Delhi Municipal Corporation to sterilize street dogs. The attackers were locals of Rani Bagh, Outer Delhi. The video of this incident is being quoted out of context attributing a communal angle to the attack. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
If we carefully watch the video, nowhere in the video, she said that she is a doctor and she never claimed that a Hindu extremist group has attacked them. We can hear the woman saying that her name is Ayesha and their team has been beaten up by a mob while they were trying to sterilize dogs and they were at Azadpur police station to lodge a complaint.
When we ran a search on the internet about the incident, we found many newspaper articles reporting the incident. From one such newspaper article, we found that the woman and her team volunteer for an NGO called Neighborhood Woof and their NGO is empanelled with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to sterilize the street dogs. In one such sterilization drive in Rani Bagh in Outer Delhi, they were attacked by the locals. Nowhere in the article, it is mentioned that the attack was carried by a Hindu extremist group or that there was a  communal angle to the incident. Newspaper articles regarding the same can be seen here and here.  With these clues, we can safely conclude that the injured woman in the video is not a doctor and the mob which attacked her is not affiliated to any Hindu extremist group.
On their Facebook page Neighborhood Woof, the team explained the whole incident on how they were misjudged as child kidnappers and got attacked by the locals. Also, they cleared the air regarding the rumours being spread. This clarification video can be watched here.
The same viral post is debunked by other fact-checking websites and those articles can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an attack on volunteers of an NGO is being quoted out of context attributing a communal angle.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of assault on a Woman in Malaysia is passed off as an assault in Hyderabad Metro - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 27, 2020
A post with the video of a man assaulting a woman in a lift is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the incident took place in Hyderabad metro. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a man assaulting a woman in a lift in Hyderabad metro.
Fact: As per news articles, the video is actually of an attack on a woman by a thief in Charas district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The video has nothing to do with Hyderabad Metro. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a 2019 news article which carried images that are similar to the visuals in the video in the post. According to the article, the video is of a thief attacking a woman in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Another news article reporting the incident can be read here and the news agency also shared the video on its Face book page which can be seen here. With all this, we can conclude that the video showing the attack on a woman in a lift is from Malaysia and has nothing to do with Hyderabad Metro.
To sum it up, the video of a thief assaulting a woman in Malaysia is shared as that from Hyderabad metro.

created: October 27, 2020


text:
Video of an attack on a bus driver in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) is being shared as that of Jafrabad (Delhi) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 28, 2020
A video of a few men with skull caps halting a bus and beating a bus driver is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the incident occurred in Jafrabad (Delhi). Let’s check the authenticity of the claim.
Video of men with skull caps attacking a bus driver in Jafrabad (Delhi).
Fact: The incident in the video took place in Aurangabad (Maharashtra). Also, there is no communal angle linked to it. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on YouTube with the keywords ‘Bus driver beaten’, the same clip was found in the news video of ‘ABP Majha’. As per the news video, the driver of ‘Kannad-Aurangabad-Shirpur’ bus was beaten up by few men as the driver had earlier hit their car when he tried to overtake on a highway. The same information about the incident can also be read in the ‘Times of India’ article.
When media agencies contacted BP Rout, Kannad Police Sub-Inspector, they were told that there is no communal angle to the incident and it was a personal clash that happened after the bus had bumped against the car.
PIB Fact check also made a tweet about the video and termed the claim as fake.
A video of an attack on a bus driver in #Pune is being circulated on social media as video of #Delhiviolence.
The original video was broadcast on @abpmajhatv a few days back: https://t.co/l0GS9kVRhp
Please beware of fake news. Fight it with us. pic.twitter.com/JZkAaIvtpL
To conclude, a video of men with skull caps attacking a bus driver in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) is being shared as that of Jafrabad (Delhi).
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?

created: February 28, 2020


text:
Video of an attack on former Jharkhand BJP chief is passed off as attack on UP minister Srikanth Sharma - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 5, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video of an angry mob attacking a vehicle is being widely circulated with a claim that the video shows people chasing the Uttar Pradesh government’s spokesperson and cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma. The video is being shared in the wake of the upcoming elections for the state legislative assembly in UP. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of UP government official spokesperson and cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma’s vehicle being chased by people.
Fact: The video is related to a recent incident of attack on former Jharkhand BJP president Ravindra Rai in Bokaro by protesters, who are agitating against the exclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi from the regional language list of state’s newly made recruitment policy. The video has nothing to with Uttar Pradesh or Srikanth Sharma. Further, there are no recent news reports of an attack on Shrikant Sharma. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to Rajya Sabha MP and Jharkhand State BJP President, Deepak Prakash’s Facebook post which shared the same video. The description accompanying the post reads ‘The attack on former state president of BJP Jharkhand Shri Ravindra Rai ji in Dhanbad is an attack on democracy, no matter how much you condemn, it is less.’
Taking a cue from the MP’s Facebook post, further Google search with relevant keywords led us to a Hindi regional news report which reported the same video. The description of the video reads ‘Ex BJP MP Ravindra Rai attacked. Driver steers vehicle out of danger.’
Further search yielded news reports of the incident (here & here). As per these reports, Ravindra Rai’s vehicle was attacked near Telmachcho bridge in Bokaro, Jharkhand by protesters, who are protesting against the exclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi from the regional language list of the state’s newly made recruitment policy.
Hindi regional news articles of the attack on Ravindra Rai can be read here, here, and here. Further, we could not find any recent news reports of an attack on Shrikant Sharma. All these establish that the viral video has nothing to do with Shrikant Sharma or Uttar Pradesh
To sum it up, the video of an attack on former Jharkhand BJP chief is passed off as UP minister Srikanth Sharma chased away by people.

created: February 5, 2022


text:
Video of an auto-rickshaw driver dancing on a water-logged road in Gujarat is shared as from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 18, 2022
A video is being widely shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of an auto rickshaw driver dancing on a water-logged street in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of an auto rickshaw driver dancing on a water-clogged street in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.
Fact: The video shows a recent incident that took place in Bharuch, Gujarat. Highlighting the problems of water-logging roads during rains, Naresh Sondarva, a taxi and auto rickshaw driver in Gujarat, danced on a water-logged road in Bharuch. This video has nothing to do with the Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found on the official Facebook page of ‘Sandesh’ news website. This media channel described it as a funny video of an auto rickshaw driver dancing on a water-logged street in Bharuch, Gujarat.
When we searched further using these keywords, we found a few more details of this video in an article published by the ‘Trishul News’ website on 16 July 2022. ‘Trishul News’ reported it as the visuals of a Gujarati auto rickshaw driver dancing on a flooded street in Bharuch. The man dancing in the video is Naresh Sondarva, a taxi and auto rickshaw driver in Gujarat. When his rickshaw got stuck in a water-logged street in Bharuch, Naresh got down from his rickshaw and danced on the flooded road. In the view of uniquely expressing the problems of water-logging streets during rains, Naresh danced like this.
The ‘Divya Bhaskar’ news channel published an article confirming that the video is from Bharuch district in Gujarat. On 15 July 2022, Naresh Sondarva posted a video on his Facebook page and thanked the people of Bharuch district and other parts of the country for their amazing response to his video.
Also, in the post we could see the ‘SHAH Publicity’ billboard placed on a pole behind road. This advertising company place their hoardings only in Surat and other prime locations in Gujarat. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post was shot on a water-logged road in Gujarat’s Bharuch district.
To sum it up, this video of an auto rickshaw driver dancing on a water-logged road is from Gujarat, not from Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan.


text:
Video of an elderly man admitting his heinous crime is from Pakistan, not India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 27, 2022
Video of an elderly man standing behind the bars and admitting that he sexually assaulted his own daughter is being widely shared on social media platforms claiming that he is an Indian Muslim. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a 60-year-old Indian Muslim admitting that he sexually assaulted his daughter.
Fact: According to the media reports, the accused Mustaq Ahmed, a resident of Pakistan’s Karachi, sexually assaulted his adult daughter while her husband was out for work. Upon his daughter’s complaint, he was arrested. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the viral video, the man said he is a resident of ‘Shah Town’. So, we searched for it and found that this area is in Karachi, Pakistan. Taking a cue from this, we searched for news reports regarding this issue and found the same video uploaded by ‘4News Pakistan’ Facebook page on 21 October 2022.
A Facebook video posted by ‘City News HD Plus’ page on 22 October reports this incident briefly at the end of the bulletin.
According to these media reports, the accused, Mustaq Ahmed sexually assaulted his daughter while her husband was out for work. He then threatened his daughter to remain silent on this issue but eventually she lodged a complaint and Mustaq was put behind the bars.
To sum it up, video of an elderly man admitting his heinous crime is from Pakistan, not India

created: October 27, 2022


text:
Video of an electric scooter battery explosion is shared as a mobile phone battery exploding for charging it overnight - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2022
A post containing a video of an explosion is going viral on social media. The post description in Kannada translates to ‘Watch this video to know what happens if you leave your mobile phone charged overnight for any reason. ‘Let’s fact-check the claim in this article.
Claim: Visuals of a mobile phone exploding for charging it overnight.
Fact: The blast incident in the video occurred in 2019 in an apartment in the Chinese city of Shanghai. Reportedly, a battery of an electric scooter exploded while charging. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
With the help of Invid, we extracted individual frames from the video of our post. A reverse image search on TinEye with the frames led us to a news report published on Dantri.com. The news report contains a lengthier version of the video shared in the post.
We also observed that the post’s video is a cropped version of the original video from the News report.
Reportedly, a battery of an electric scooter exploded while it was being charged in an apartment in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The incident happened in 2019. We looked for further evidence and searched the internet with relevant keywords. We found a video story published by the South China Morning Post and a post on the online news community Newsflare.com, which confirmed that the incident occurred in Shanghai and an electric scooter’s battery exploded.
To sum it up, a video of an electric scooter battery explosion is falsely shared as a mobile phone battery exploding for charging it overnight.


text:
Video of an iftar party held on a road in Mangaluru is being shared incorrectly linking it to Kolkata - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 3, 2024
Several posts (here, here, and here), accompanied by a video of an event organized on the road, are being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that the video shows an iftar party held on a road in Kolkata, West Bengal. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claims made in the posts.
Claim: Video depicting an iftar party held on a road in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Fact: The viral video depicts an iftar party held on a road in Mangaluru on 30 March 2024. According to reports, the event blocked over 200 meters of the state highway, restricting traffic to one side of the road, and causing difficulties for motorists and pedestrians for more than four hours during peak time. Following the video’s viral spread on social media platforms, the Election Commission of India issued a notice to the main organizer of the ‘Auto Rajakanmar Iftar’ event, Abubakar Siddique, for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on 31 March 2024. There are no reports about any such iftar party held on roads in Kolkata recently. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search. However, there are no reports about any such iftar party being held on roads in Kolkata recently. To learn more about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using the keyframes from the video. This search led us to a news report containing similar visuals from the viral video, published by ‘India TV’ on 01 April 2024. According to this report, “the Election Commission issued a notice to the organizers for holding the iftar party on the road in Mangalore, Karnataka. As the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place across the country, organizers are required to obtain permission from the poll panel before holding any public event.”
We have also found a news report by ‘Deccan Herald,‘ published on 01 April 2024. According to this report, “the iftar party was arranged on the state highway in Ullal Taluk at Mudipu junction, which is a busy intersection leading to the new IT hub of Dakshina Kannada district on 30 March 2024. The event blocked over 200 meters of the state highway, restricting traffic to one side of the road and causing difficulties for motorists and pedestrians for more than four hours during peak time. All the rickshaw drivers of Ullal Taluk conducted this iftar gathering, which was attended by locals and local traders. After the video of the event went viral on social media platforms, the Election Commission of India issued a notice to the main organizer of the ‘Auto Rajakanmar Iftar’ event, Abubakar Siddique, for violating the election model code of conduct on 31 March 2024”. From all this information, it is clear that the viral video shows the Iftar party held on the road in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
Other news reports regarding this iftar event can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum up, video of an iftar party held on a road in Mangaluru is being falsely shared linking it to Kolkata.


text:
Video of an incident from Guatemala is falsely linked to the kidnapping of an Israeli Woman - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 11, 2023
A video featuring a woman being beaten & burned by a group of people is being shared on social media, claiming she is an Israeli woman being tortured by the Hamas militants. Let’s fact-check the claim made in this post through this article.
Claim: A video of an Israeli woman being tortured & burned by Hamas militants.
Fact: This video is of an incident that occurred in Guatemala in 2015, where a woman was torched and killed on suspicion of killing a taxi driver. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more details about the viral clip, we performed a reverse image search using a few keyframes of the video. This search led us to several news reports (here, here, and here) which identified that the video was related to an incident that occurred in ‘Guatemala’.
According to a news report published by CNN in 2015, a 16-year-old girl was beaten and set on fire in Rio Bravo municipality, Guatemala. She later succumbed to the injuries. Reportedly, she was accused of being a part of a group that killed a taxi driver.
To sum up, a 2015 video from ‘Guatemala’ is being falsely linked to the kidnapping of an Israeli woman.

created: October 11, 2023


text:
Video of an intoxicated man dancing is shared in the name of Anil Upadhyay, a fictional politician - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 1, 2022
A post accompanying the video of a man dancing with a woman is being widely circulated. The post claims the man dancing in an intoxicated state is BJP MLA, Anil Upadhyay. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of BJP MLA Anil Upadhyay dancing with a woman in an intoxicated state.
Fact: There is no such BJP MLA with the name Anil Upadhyay. Search on My Neta website yielded two persons with similar names, one is Dr. Anil Upadhyay, from the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rajasthan and the other is Anil Kumar Upadhyay, an independent from Uttar Pradesh. The same video went viral in the past with the same name alleging that he represents Congress party. Although we could not independently verify the identify the person in the video, the claim that he is a BJP legislator is not true. Further, many fake posts were viral in the past in the name of Anil Upadhyay, a fictional politician. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
There is no such BJP MLA with the name Anil Upadhyay. Internet search did not yield information about such an MLA. Further search on My Neta website returned the name of two persons with similar names. One is Dr. Anil Upadhyay, representing the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rajasthan and the other is Anil Kumar Upadhyay, an independent from Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier, the same video went viral with the same name alleging he represented the Congress party. However, there is no such legislator with this name even in Congress party. Although we could not independently verify the identity of the man in the video, it is evident that there is no such politician with this name is either representing BJP or Congress parties.
In fact, many fake posts went viral in the name of Anil Upadhyay in the past. FACTLY debunked those posts, fact-check articles related to those can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, the video of an intoxicated man dancing is shared in the name of Anil Upadhyay, a fictional politician belonging to the BJP.

created: February 1, 2022


text:
Video of an old clash between Shiv Sena and NCP workers before the MVA alliance shared as a recent incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 30, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the recent visuals of a fierce brawl that took place between the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party workers in Maharashtra. Amid the ongoing Maharashtra political crisis that led to the collapse of Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) government in Maharashtra, this video is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of a fight between the Shiv Sena and NCP workers in Maharashtra.
Fact: The video shows an old clash that broke out between the Shiv Sena and NCP workers during an inauguration of a marriage hall in the Airoli area of Navi Mumbai. This incident had taken place in March 2019, before the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) government in Maharashtra. The video shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the political crisis in Maharashtra. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When you observe the video carefully, one could notice the caption “Airoli: Shiv Sena NCP Navi Mumbai” and a watermark of the ‘News & Entertainment’s logo on top of the video. When we searched for the video using these relevant keywords, a video with similar visuals was found to be published by the ‘News and Entertainment Web’ YouTube channel on 01 March 2019. The description of the video states, “Shiv Sena and NCP Fight at Airoli Navi Mumbai”.
Reporting the details of this clash that broke out between the Shiv Sena and NCP workers, several news websites published articles in March 2019. A few of those articles can be seen here, here and here. According to these articles, this brawl took place during an inauguration ceremony of a marriage hall in the Airoli area of Navi Mumbai. Shiv Sena activists led by M K Madhvi were reportedly enraged over the leaders of NCP for not waiting for the Thane Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare for the lighting of the lamp ceremony. M K Madhvi and Shiv Sena workers alleged that NCP leaders who were in the position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions of the then Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have deliberately humiliated Shiv Sena leaders and activists after inviting to the inauguration ceremony.
Uddhav Thackeray, as the leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) alliance, took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 28 November 2019.  So, it can be confirmed that the incident shown in the video took place way before the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
To sum it up, this clash between Shiv Sena and NCP activists took place before the formation of MVA government in Maharashtra.


text:
Video of anti-Hijab protestors clashing with police in London is shared as a Hindu-Muslim fight - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as recent visuals of Hindus and Muslims fighting each other in London over a cricket match. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video of Hindus and Muslims fighting each other in London.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows dozens of Iranian protestors clashing with British police outside the Iranian Embassy in London. Anguished over 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death in Iranian custody, hundreds of protestors demonstrated against the Hijab policies in the Iran regime outside of the Iranian Embassy in London. The video is not related to the Hindu-Muslim clashes that broke out in Leicester after the India vs Pakistan match in September 2022. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found in a post published by the ‘News 18’ channel on 27 September 2022. ‘News 18’ reported it as visuals of dozens of Iranian protestors clashing with British police at the Iranian Embassy in London.
When searched for further sources using these keywords on the internet, and found that the same video was tweeted by the ‘GB News’ channel. ‘GB News’ through the tweet reported that at least five police were injured and 12 people were arrested after a violent disorder broke out during protests outside the Iranian Embassy in London.
‘With the likelihood of more protests in the days ahead, police will have additional resources on duty to deal with any further outbreak of disorder.’
Mark White reports on the Iranian Protests, as five police officers are injured and 12 people arrested in London. pic.twitter.com/FDGSP0l1Uc
Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iranian custody, hundreds of Iranians took to the streets in their country and several other parts of the world protesting the Hijab policies under Iran’s regime. Iran announced the death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022, three days after she was arrested by Morality police in Tehran. Mahsa Amini was arrested for allegedly breaking hijab or headscarf rules in public. A few news articles and videos related to the anti-Hijab protests over Mahsa Amini’s death can be seen here, here and here.
In September 2022, several media organizations reported about the clashes that broke out between Hindu and Muslim communities in Leicester, following the India vs Pakistan cricket match held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They can be seen here, here and here. But the video shared in the post is not related to the Hindu-Muslim clashes that broke out after the India vs Pakistan match in September 2022.
To sum it up, video of anti-Hijab protestors clashing with police outside the Iranian Embassy in London is shared as a Hindu-Muslim fight.

created: October 4, 2022


text:
Video of anti-India protest held in Canada in 2023 is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers' protest in 2024 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2024
A video depicting a few Sikh individuals setting fire to the Indian flag and stomping on it during a protest is widely circulating across social media platforms, with the claim that the video is from the ongoing farmers’ protest in 2024. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Sikh farmers burned the Indian flag during the ongoing farmers’ protest in 2024.
Fact: This viral video depicts an anti-India protest held by Sikhs in Canada in 2023. According to news reports, Sikh protesters gathered outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver, Canada, on 25 September 2023, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi’s involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. During this protest, Sikh protesters burned the Indian flag. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon carefully observing the viral video frame by frame, we noticed captions and words such as ‘Vancouver’, which is a city in Canada. Taking this cue, we conducted a relevant keyword search, leading us to the extended version of the same video on the official YouTube channel of Canada-based Global News with the title: “Sikh protesters burn Indian flag outside consulates in Canada over Nijjar murder,” uploaded on 26 September 2023. According to this news report, Sikh protesters gathered outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver, Canada, on 25 September 2023, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi’s involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. More news reports regarding this protest can be found here, here, and here.
Upon comparing the viral video with the original footage, it becomes evident that the viral video depicts visuals from an anti-Indian protest by Sikhs in Vancouver, Canada, in September 2023.
To sum it up, the video depicting an anti-India protest held in Canada in 2023 is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protest in 2024.

created: February 26, 2024


text:
Video of Argentines celebrating 2022 FIFA World Cup win shared as visuals from a Jai Bhim rally - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 3, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of a huge crowd gathered for a Jai Bhim rally. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing a massive crowd gathered for a Jai Bhim rally.
Fact: The video shows the visuals of Argentines celebrating the FIFA World Cup win at the historic monument of Obelisk in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The video does not show any visuals from a Jai Bhim rally. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the video carefully, one could see the watermark ‘alepetra_’ at the bottom left of the video. When we searched for this video using relevant keywords on the internet, a video with similar visuals was found published on the Instagram page ‘alepetra_’. This Instagram user published this video on 19 December 2022, describing it as the visuals of Argentines celebrating the FIFA World cup win at the historic monument of Obelisk in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
An extended version of the video published by this Instagram user shows people holding Argentina national flags and the banners of Argentina’s late legendary Football player Diego Maradona. Several sports and news websites published the same video describing it as the visuals of Argentina fans celebrating their Football team winning the FIFA World Cup 2022. They can be seen here and here. Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 after defeating France on penalties 4-2 on 18 December 2022.
A few more videos showing Argentines celebrating the World Cup win at Obelisk de Buenos Aires can be seen here, here and here.
To sum it up, video of Argentines celebrating 2022 FIFA World Cup win is shared as visuals from a Jai Bhim rally.

created: January 3, 2023


text:
Video of arrest of a burqa-clad man for bootlegging is shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 17, 2020
A post with a video showing police apprehending a burqa-clad man is doing rounds on social media with the claim that the person in the burqa is an RSS member and he is arrested for waving a Pakistani flag. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Police arrested a Burqa-clad man affiliated to RSS for waving a Pakistan flag.
Fact: According to news reports, the man in the video was arrested for smuggling liquor by disguising as a burqa-clad woman. The incident took place in Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh and the incident has nothing to with RSS and Pakistan flag. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to an article which published the images of the video in the post. According to the article, the incident took place in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh and the men in the video were caught bootlegging liquor in the disguise of women.
When searched on YouTube using the keywords ‘men in burqa smuggling liquor in Kurnool’ we found a news channel video reporting the same news. According to the video, the man in the disguise of a woman was arrested for bootlegging liquor into AP. In the video, it is nowhere mentioned that man in the burqa is affiliated to RSS or the man was waving a flag. Kurnool SP Fakkeerappa Kaginelli has also clarified that the case was related to smuggling NDPL (non-duty paid liquor) from Telangana to AP.
To sum it up, the arrest of burqa-clad man has nothing to do with RSS and Pakistan flag. They were arrested for smuggling NDPL (non-duty paid liquor) from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of billboard falling on commuters in Karachi falsely linked to Chennai - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 26, 2020
A post with a video showing a huge billboard falling on commuters due to strong winds coupled with heavy rain is being widely shared across all social media platforms with the claim that the video shows an incident that took place on the Poonamallee highway road in Chennai. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Billboard falling on commuters due to strong winds coupled with heavy rain on Poonamallee highway road in Chennai.
Fact: The video actually shows an incident of billboard falling on motorcyclists in Karachi, Pakistan three months ago. There are many news reports of the same incident. This video has nothing to do with Chennai. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Simple YouTube search with keywords ‘billboard falling on commuters’ led us to three months old Pakistan based news videos which carried images similar to the one in the post. According to one such news video,  these visuals show a billboard falling on commuters in Karachi injuring two motorcyclists. Another news video which says the same can be seen here.
Further google search with relevant keywords led us to few news articles which reported the incident. These articles carried images similar to the visuals of the video in the post. Even these articles reported that this incident happened in Karachi. Another news article which reported the same can be read here. With all these, we can conclude that the incident did not happen in Chennai.
FACTLY debunked when the same video went viral a couple of months ago with a different claim.  This fact-check story can be read here.
In the light of cyclone Nivar, a very severe cyclonic storm as described by IMD,  posts like these are being shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, video of billboard falling on commuters in Karachi, Pakistan is falsely shared as that from Chennai.

created: November 26, 2020


text:
Video of birds flocking together in Ahmedabad falsely shared as taken at Bangalore airport - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 24, 2020
A video of birds flocking together in the sky, while the road seen in the video is seen to be empty, is being shared widely on social media with the claim that the incident took place at Bangalore airport. But, ‘FACTLY’ has found the claim to be false. As per 13 February 2020 article of ‘Times of India’, the video shows birds flocking together at a riverfront in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). So, the video is not from Bengaluru and is of an incident prior to the announcement of nationwide lockdown which came into effect from 25 March 2020. Previously, the same video also went viral with the claim that the video was taken at Chandigarh.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. News Article – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/watch-hundreds-of-birds-flocking-together-leave-spectators-spellbound/videoshow/74111990.cms
2. YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSdXynpQkUA
Did you watch our new video?


text:
Video of birds flying around the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple has no connection with Maha Shivratri - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2021
A video is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows birds doing pradakshina (or parikrama) around the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. In the post, it is written that the birds do such pradkshina around the temple every year on the day of Maha Shivratri. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of birds doing pradakshina around the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. It happens every year on the day of Maha Shivratri.
Fact: The ‘News 18’ team have found that the flying of birds in flocks around the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple is a regular phenomenon. It has no connection with Maha Shivratri. The scientific reason behind such movement of birds is called ‘Murmuration’. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched about the posted video on the internet, an article published by ‘News18 – Hindi’ on the video was found in the search results. In the article, it can be read that the ‘News18’ team went to the location in the posted video to confirm the authenticity of the video. In their investigation, it was found that the flying of birds in flocks around the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple is a regular phenomenon. It does not happen only on the day of Maha Shivratri every year.
Many similar videos of birds flying around the premises of Mahakaleshwar temple can be watched here, here, and here.
Sanjeev Sanyal, an author of several books on India, has tweeted in 2019 that the phenomenon of birds in the video is called ‘Murmuration’. The ‘News18 – Hindi’ article also mentions the same scientific reason for the flying of birds in flocks in the video. Murmuration means – ‘a large group of birds, usually starlings, that all fly together and change direction together’. The BBC video on ‘How do starling birds flock?’ can be watched here.
To sum it up, the video of birds flying around the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple has no connection with Maha Shivratri.


text:
Video of BJP Lawmakers thrashing each other falsely shared as scuffle between AAP MP Sanjay Singh and his Party’s MLA - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 18, 2021
A video accompanying a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh was beating his own party’s MLA during a Party meeting with a shoe and that later the MLA also retaliated and hit him back. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of AAP MP Sanjay Singh beating his party’s MLA at a meeting.
Fact: The men exchanging blows in the video belong to Uttar Pradesh BJP unit. BJP MP Sharad Tripathi had assaulted BJP MLA Rakesh and they subsequently exchanged blows following an argument over placement of names on a foundation stone of a project. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search of the screenshots of the video is done, the same video was found on the YouTube channel of ‘NDTV’. As per this video uploaded on 06 March 2019, former BJP Lok Sabha MP Sharad Tripathi who represented Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar between 2014-2019 had assaulted BJP MLA Rakesh Singh and both of them exchanged blows following an argument over placement of names on a foundation stone of a project. News articles regarding the incident can be seen here, here, and here.
A screengrab of the video shows that there is a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath. So, the men involved in the scuffle in the video are the lawmakers from the Uttar Pradesh BJP unit and not of Aam Aadmi Party.
To sum it up, video of BJP Lawmakers thrashing each other falsely shared as scuffle between AAP MP Sanjay Singh and his Party’s MLA.


text:
Video of BJP worker Radhika Abrol shared as the visuals of Sanjay Gandhi’s daughter criticising secularists in relation to the riots in France - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 4, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of Sanjay Gandhi’s daughter speaking about the riots in France and slamming secularists and influencers in the country for not speaking a word against the violence incited by Muslims in France. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Sanjay Gandhi’s daughter speaking about the communal riots incited by Muslims in France.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows Radhika Abrol, a BJP worker and Former Municipal Councillor of SDMC, speaking about the riots in France. Radhika Abrol in her bio section clearly stated her father’s name as Atul Abrol. Radhika Abrol has nothing to do with the late Sanjay Gandhi. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video and by searching with relevant keywords, a video showing similar visuals was found published on the Facebook page of Radhika Abrol. Radhika Abrol published this video on 04 July 2023.
Radhika Abrol is a party worker of the BJP and was a Former Municipal Councilor at South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). In the bio section of her social media profiles, Radhika Abrol mentioned her father’s name as Atul Abrol. A few other similar videos posted by Radhika Abrol can be seen here, here, and here.
Varun Gandhi is the only child of Sanjay and Maneka Gandhi. A controversy emerged in January 2017 when Priya Singh Kaul asserted that she was the biological daughter of Sanjay Gandhi and had been placed for adoption. The case to verify the validity of her assertion is still ongoing in court.
To sum it up, video of BJP worker Radhika Abrol is shared as the visuals of Sanjay Gandhi’s daughter criticising secularists in the country over riots in France.

created: August 4, 2023


text:
Video of BJP workers waving BJP flags from a Telangana Police vehicle is shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 31, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Telangana Police personnel waving BJP flags on their vehicles and promoting BJP in Telangana. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Claim: Video of Telangana Police waving BJP flags on their vehicles and promoting BJP in Telangana.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a few arrested BJP workers waving BJP flags from a police vehicle in Hyderabad, Telangana. A longer version of the video clearly shows BJP workers inside that police vehicle. Several BJP leaders shared this video appreciating the courage and commitment of those BJP workers. The Telangana Police did not wave BJP flags on their vehicles and promoted BJP. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a longer version of the video was found published by the ‘Vahini TV’ YouTube channel on 27 March 2022. In this longer version of the video, we could see a few arrested BJP workers waving BJP flags from a Rachakonda police vehicle. A few BJP leaders have shared this video on social media appreciating the courage and commitment of those BJP workers. They can be seen here and here.
When we searched for further details, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘Zee Telugu News’ YouTube channel. They reported it as the visuals of BJP workers waving BJP flags from a Telangana Police vehicle. The BJP workers in the vehicle were reportedly detained for participating in a rally. There are several other pictures available on the internet where we could see BJP workers waving BJP flags from a Telangana Police vehicle. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows BJP workers waving BJP flags from a Telangana Police vehicle.
To sum it up, a video of BJP workers waving BJP flags from a Telangana Police vehicle is being shared with a false narrative.


text:
Video of Bolivian protestor getting injured due to Dynamite explosion is shared as Kashmiri stone pelter shot down by Indian Army - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2022
A video is being widely shared on social media claiming that the Indian army shot down a stone pelter on the spot when he threw stones on Army convoy. The visuals show a group of people in a street and a man throwing something before he is injured in an explosion. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a Kashmiri stone pelter being shot down by Indian army.
Fact: The incident in the video took place in La Paz, Bolivia in the first week of August 2022. The Bolivian coca farmers were protesting the parallel coca market. During the protest, a dynamite exploded in the hand of 30-year-old protestor. He was seriously injured and lost his left arm. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search on the keyframes of the viral video led to a Bolivian newspaper that used these visuals while reporting an incident on its website.
Taking a cue from this, we searched the internet with the relevant keywords and found several media reports on this issue. They can be seen here, here,  here and here.
According to these reports, Members of the Association of Coca Producers (Adepcoca) were protesting the parallel coca market claiming that it enjoys the support of the government. In the first week of August 2022, police in Bolivia’s La Paz fired tear gas shells to repel a crowd of coca farmers trying to shut down a parallel market for the plant. During these protests, a coca grower, Placido Cota, 30, a single father of two children was injured allegedly because of a dynamite that exploded in his hand. The producer is a member of the Association of Coca Producers (Adepcoca). According to the report of the doctor, the patient was admitted with hypovolemic shock, due to the explosion of dynamite he lost his left arm.
To sum it up, video of a Bolivian protestor getting injured due to Dynamite explosion is shared as that of Kashmiri stone pelter shot down by Indian Army.


text:
Video of Brazilian football fans' march is falsely shared as demonstrations in France in support of Palestine - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 1, 2023
A video is circulating on social media platforms claiming to be footage of French citizens marching in support of Palestinians amidst the recent Palestine – Israel conflict. This article aims to fact-check this claim and provide clarity on the actual origins of the video.
Claim: The video being shared depicts a march of French citizens demonstrating in support of Palestine.
Fact: The video does not show a French pro-Palestine demonstration but instead shows visuals from a gathering of football fans in Brazil. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
To determine the truth behind the viral video, we executed a reverse image search on keyframes from the video. This search led us to sources that featured identical or similar visuals (here, here, and here).
We discovered that the video originated not from France, as claimed, but from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The people seen in the video were not engaged in a political demonstration. Instead, they were fans of the football club Palmeiras making their way to a game against Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores competition. You can view other angles of this actual event here, here, and here.
In addition, a quick internet search for recent demonstrations in France in support of Palestine confirmed such events. However, our findings show that the video in question is unrelated to those demonstrations.
To sum up, the video depicting a large group of people marching at night is not taken from a French demonstration supporting Palestine but shows visuals of football fans in Brazil making their way to a game.

created: November 1, 2023