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These ‘MUDRA Loan Approval Letters’ asking borrowers to pay processing fee/legal charge for loan disbursement are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2020
We received a document (purported ‘MUDRA Loan Approval Letter’) on FACTLY’s WhatsApp helpline to check its authenticity.
When we looked on the internet, it was found that a Facebook page with the name – ‘Pradhanmantri Mudra Yojna’ has also posted a similar letter with the description – ‘Government Approval Letter’. In the letters, it is mentioned that a processing fee/legal charge must be paid so that the loan amount can be handed over. Let’s check the authenticity of the letters.
MUDRA Loan Approval Letters asking borrowers to pay legal charge/processing fee for loan disbursement.
Fact: There are a lot of inconsistencies and mistakes in the approval letters. Neither ‘Mudra Finance Private Limited’ nor ‘Mudra Finance Limited’ can be found in the ‘List of Partner institutions shortlisted to be partners of MUDRA’. Also, there is no ‘National Financial Corporation Act 1956’, which is mentioned in the letter. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Before checking the authenticity of the letters, let’s understand a bit about the PM MUDRA Yojana (PMMY). On the MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) website, it can be read that ‘the scheme was launched by the  Prime Minister on April 8, 2015 for providing loans up to 10 lakhs to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY. These loans are given by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, MFIs and NBFCs. The borrower can approach any of the authorized lending institutions or can apply online through this portal www.udyamimitra.in. Under the aegis of PMMY, MUDRA has created three products namely ‘Shishu’, ‘Kishore’ and ‘Tarun’ to signify the stage of growth/development and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit/entrepreneur and also provide a reference point for the next phase of graduation/growth’. A detailed article by FACTLY regarding the PMMY scheme can read here.
Various people across the country have received similar MUDRA loan approval letters on their respective names. Some of those letters can be seen here, here, here, here, and here. There are a lot of clues in the letters which suggest that they are fake. Let’s look at each of them one by one.
Clue 1: Different letterheads and watermarks
It can be seen that the design of the letterhead varies in the letters. The logos of ‘EMI Finance’ and ‘Mudra Loan’, and the watermarks are not consistent. Also, it can be seen in some letters that the logo of PMMY mentions ‘True stories of achievement’, which is picked up from the success stories page on the official MUDRA website.
Clue 2: Same signature – Different names
Clue 3: Approval agencies
Neither ‘Mudra Finance Private Limited’ nor ‘Mudra Finance Limited’ can be found in the ‘List of Partner institutions shortlisted to be partners of MUDRA’. Also, there is no ‘National Financial Corporation Act 1956’, which is mentioned in the letter.
Clue 4: Same loan amount – Different Processing fee/Legal charge
In one of the documents on the MUDRA website, it can be read that ‘banks may consider charging an upfront fee as per their internal guidelines. The upfront fee/processing charges for Shishu loans are waived by most banks’. For example, on the SBI website, it can be seen that the processing Fee is nil for Shishu and Kishore loans to MSE Units and for Tarun loans, it is  0.50% (plus applicable tax) of the loan amount. But the processing charges given in these letters are not uniform in the approval letters. For the same loan amount, the processing fee given is different.
There are a lot of other inconsistencies and grammatical mistakes in the letters, which are very rare in official bank letters. The account details given in the letters for depositing the processing/legal fee are different in each letter. The company addresses and the helpline numbers are also not the same. Most of the given phone numbers are not working. FACTLY (posing as a borrower who received a similar letter) was able to talk to a person on one of the phone numbers. The person on the phone demanded the mentioned amount (which he said will be refunded) to be deposited in the given account number so that the loan amount can be disbursed.
The official website of ‘MUDRA’ is ‘https://www.mudra.org.in/’. But, in one letter, a website address – ‘www.financemudra.net’ is given, which is not working now. The archived version can be seen here. In another letter, there is a website – ‘http://mudrapmyojana.com/’. The phone number given on the website is also invalid. On looking about the website on ‘who.is’, it was found that the website was registered recently in May 2020 and the phone number given for registering the website can be found on another website – ‘Tata Fianance’  (Another dubious website which was registered recently in March 2020). So, it is not a government website. The official website mentions that the borrowers can file an online application for MUDRA loans on Udyamimitra portal.
Also, many people across the country have complained on social media that they have received similar fake letters on WhatsApp. Some of them have also paid huge amounts and complained that they have been duped. Those complaint posts can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, these ‘MUDRA Loan Approval Letters’ asking borrowers to pay processing fee/legal charge for loan disbursement are fake.
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These numbers comparing soldiers died under Manmohan and Modi are wrong - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 19, 2019
With the Pulwama attack, politics have again begun on the number of soldiers died under each government. A Facebook page named ‘Indian Lok Sabha Election 2019’ posted a photo, where the number of soldiers died under the 10 years of UPA Government and the 4 years of NDA government are compared. Let us try to analyze the claims of the post.
Under the UPA government, in 10 years, 171 soldiers died but under the NDA
government, in 4 years, 1250 soldiers died.
A total of 1249 security personnel died under the UPA government in 10 years, in the state of Jammu Kashmir and the North-Eastern States, whereas a total of 378 security personnel died under the NDA government in 4 years.  So, the number of security personnel killed under the NDA government is not greater than the number of security personnel killed under the UPA government.
A comparison of the total number of deaths under the 10-year rule of the UPA government and the 4-year rule of the NDA government cannot be made. To get a better picture, it is wise to see the trend in the number of deaths in each year. The trend in the above graphs shows that there is a decreasing trend in the number of deaths from the year 2004 but during the last few years there is a slight upward trend.
Bottom-line: The numbers regarding the deaths of soldiers specified in the post are false.

source: news-factly

created: February 19, 2019

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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These old images of Muslims practising yoga are not from Saudi Arabia - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 24, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the two images of Muslims practising yoga are from Saudi Arabia. These images are going viral in the backdrop of the recently concluded International Yoga Day on 21 June 2021. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images of Muslims practising yoga in Saudi Arabia.
Fact: Both the images are not from Saudi Arabia. The first image was captured in Abu Dhabi in June 2017, where the Bohra community members were performing Yoga ahead of the third International Yoga Day at Bohra Islamic Community Cultural Society in Abu Dhabi. The second image is from Ahmedabad, Gujarat captured in June 2015, where Indian Muslim students were performing yoga ahead of the first International Yoga Day. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Image 1:
When reverse image search was done on the first image in the post, similar image was found in the article ‘Bohra community organises yoga session’ published in Gulf News on 20 June 2017. The caption with the picture published in the article reads ‘Bohra community members performing Yoga at Bohra Islamic Community Cultural Society in Abu Dhabi.’ The image credit has been given to Binsal Abdul Kader/Gulf News. According to the article, ahead of the third International Yoga Day, the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim Community from India had organised a yoga session in Abu Dhabi, and the event was held at the Bohra Islamic Cultural Centre at Mohammad Bin Zayed city.
Image 2:
When reverse image search was done on the second image in the post, a news article titled ‘India Readies to Showcase Yoga to the World’ by VOA News published on 18 June 2015 was found with the same image. The caption in the article is read as, “Indian Muslim students practice yoga at a school ahead of first International Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, India, Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The United Nations has declared that June 21 will be observed as the International Day of Yoga.” A picture gallery of Zee News published on 21 June 2015 also has the same image with a similar caption.
According to a WION news article published on 21 June 2021, Saudi Arabia had signed a memorandum of understanding with India for establishing formal yoga standards for the promotion of yoga in the Kingdom. Yoga was not officially permitted in Saudi Arabia for decades, however, the Kingdom in November 2017 recognised yoga as a sport amid a new liberalisation drive, according to this NDTV article.
Glimpses of International Yoga Day celebration on 21 June 2021 in Saudi Arabia can be seen from the posts from official twitter page of Consulate General of India, Jeddah. Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia through its official Twitter account said that the celebrations culminated at the Embassy of India, Riyadh with a demonstration of the Common Yoga Protocol in hybrid format.
#IDY2021 celebrations culminate at the Embassy of India, Riyadh with a demonstration of the  Common Yoga Protocol in hybrid format #YogaForWellness#BeWithYogaBeAtHome@MEAIndia @iccr_hq @moayush @IndianDiplomacy pic.twitter.com/obUUQ7JAWe
According to this article, not only in Saudi Arabia but also around the world International Yoga Day was celebrated, and that the striking images from India and around the world can be seen.
The United Nations had on 11 December 2014, through a resolution adopted by the General Assembly, decided that June 21 would be observed as the International Day of Yoga. According to this article, 47 Islamic nations among the 177 countries of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) officially co-sponsored with India, a resolution to establish June 21 as “International Day of Yoga”.
To sum it up, these old images of Muslims practising yoga are not from Saudi Arabia.


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These ‘painful’ visuals do not show the consequences of the current Russia-Ukraine crisis - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 1, 2022
Some visuals are being shared widely on social media with a claim that they show the human consequences of the current conflict between the forces of Russia and Ukraine. Most of them are shared as visuals from Ukraine after the recent announcement of military operations by Russia. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Post 1:
Claim: Recent painful photos from Ukraine.
Fact: All three photos in the post are from Ukraine. But they are not recent photos. There are not related to the current Russia-Ukraine crisis. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
There are three photos in the post. The first photo is an old photo (2014) from Ukraine. The photo can be also found on the website of photographer Valery Melnikov.
The second and third photos in the post are also old photos (2014) from Ukraine. They can be seen in some old articles here and here.
Post 2:
Claim: Recent pictures of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Fact: Except for the two photos in the post, the other pictures are not related to the current Russia-Ukraine crisis. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The photo of the wounded girl is not related to Ukraine. It is an old photo from Syria.
The old woman’s photo can be found in an article published in 2014 related to Ukraine. So, it is also an old photo.
The other two photos in the post are visuals of the current Russia-Ukraine crisis. They can be seen in the recent news articles here and here.
Post 3:
Claim: Recent photo of Ukraine after the Russian attack.
Fact: The photo is not related to Ukraine. It is an old photo from Lebanon. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A similar photo can be found on the ‘Getty Images’ website. In the description of the photo, it is written – “Buildings lay destroyed from Israeli airstrikes during the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel August 20, 2006 in the southern suburb of Haret Hreik in Beirut, Lebanon.”
To sum it up, most of the visuals in the above posts do not show the consequences of the current Russia-Ukraine crisis.


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These photos are not from India. They are from the raid on a counterfeit soft drink factory in Pakistan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 4, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a set of photos cautioning the public not to consume cool drinks as they are contaminated with HTC poison. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
Cool drinks were contaminated with HTC poison and their consumption led to the death of people
Fact: Few of the photos posted are the ones taken when District Food Authority officials raided a fake soft drinks factory in Gujranwala of Pakistan in 2015. Hence, the claim made in the post stands FALSE.
When the photos in the post are run through Google Reverse Image Search, few of them were found to be taken when District Food Authority officials raided a fake soft drinks factory in Gujranwala of Pakistan in 2015. In 2017, when these photos were circulated with the narration that cool drinks were contaminated with the Ebola virus, Check4spam had written a fact-check article on it.  These images were also circulated as the poisonous drinks in Nigeria, South Africa and other countries.
A video of a bleeding woman is also being circulated, suggesting it as the effect of consuming cool drinks mixed with HTC poison. But the video is from Telangana State wherein a woman was beaten by his husband for questioning him over his extra-marital affair.
To sum it up, photos of the raid on a counterfeit soft drink factory in Pakistan are circulated as public affected due to the consumption of contaminated cool drinks.
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These photos are not of the Muslim boy who was allegedly beaten for drinking water inside a temple in Ghaziabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2021
Few photos of a boy with injury marks are being widely shared on social media with a claim that they show the Muslim boy who was allegedly beaten for drinking water inside a temple in Ghaziabad. The incident reportedly took place near Dasna Devi Mandir in Ghaziabad. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos of a Muslim boy who was allegedly beaten for drinking water inside a temple in Ghaziabad.
Fact: The posted photos are old. They are being shared on the internet at least since October 2020. So, the posted photos are not related to the recent incident in Ghaziabad. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photos were run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photos were found to be uploaded by some social media users back in October 2020.
Also, several news websites have reported in October 2020 that the child in the photos was beaten by his father and the incident took place in Al Mahwit Governorate (Yemen). Some news reports on the incident can be read here and here. FACTLY could not independently verify the location & context of this incident. But, as the photos are old, it can be concluded that the posted photos are not related to the recent incident in Ghaziabad.
The visuals related to the Ghaziabad incident can be seen here and here. Ghaziabad Police have tweeted that the accused in the case have been arrested.
To sum it up, the posted photos are not related to the Muslim boy who was allegedly beaten for drinking water inside a temple in Ghaziabad.


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These photos are not related to the latest sporadic forest fires in Uttarakhand - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 29, 2020
Several pictures are being shared on social media with a claim that they show the latest forest fires in the State of Uttarakhand. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photos of the latest forest fires in Uttarakhand.
Fact: The posted photos are not related to the latest forest fires in Uttarakhand. While there are some forest fires in Uttarakhand currently, their spread is not as much when compared to the reported incidents during the corresponding period last year. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Picture 1:
The photo is on the internet at least since August 2013 with the description that it was taken in the US.
Picture 2:
This photo is also related to a forest fire in the US. It is not related to India. The photo was taken in 2011.
Picture 3:
The same photo can be found in an article published by ‘The Indian Express’ in 2016. The photo was taken in Himachal Pradesh.
While the source of the fourth photo in the post was not found, it was found that many other photos were also being shared with a similar claim. ‘PIB in Uttarakhand’ tweeted that those photos are also not related to the recent forest fires in Uttarakhand.
सोशल मीडिया में दिखाया जा रहा है कि उत्तराखंड के जंगलों में आग बढ़ती जा रही है लेकिन सरकार इस पर ध्यान नहीं दे रही है|@PIBFactCheck : दिखायी जा रही तस्वीरे पुरानी हैं तथा इनमें से कई दूसरे देशों से संबंधित हैं| कृपया ऐसी भ्रामक खबरों से सावधान रहें|@PIBHindi @tsrawatbjp pic.twitter.com/3I4ywVUwJ8
As the photos went viral with claims that Uttarakhand is in crisis, the Chief Minister of the State and ‘PIB in Uttarakhand’ tweeted that, as on 25 May 2020, the forest fire coverage is around 80 hectares i.e. only 5% of what it was during the corresponding period last year. So, it is not as big a crisis as it is being portrayed on social media.
Dear @DrRonMalka many thanks for your concern. Real situation is diff from the propaganda.Let me share with you the most authentic info on the so called forest fires in Uttarakhand. As of today,forest fire coverage @ 80 Ha is only 5% of what it was during corresponding period LY. https://t.co/dH7gEG4d07 pic.twitter.com/7AChBBRNXv
Various forest and police officials have also tweeted asking people not to believe the rumours. For more information on forest fires in India, FACTLY’s articles can be read here and here.
Rumours about Forest Fire in uttarakhand using #uttarakhandwildfire #PrayForUttarakhand are completely false and mischievous.. Uttarakhand police is going to lodge FIR against such rumour mongers@ANI @aajtak @ABPNews @PIBHindi @PIBFactCheck @tsrawatbjp @News18India pic.twitter.com/MAli1ZObxm
To sum it up, these photos are not related to the latest sporadic forest fires in Uttarakhand.
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These photos are not the result of IAF strike on Balakot but due to an earlier Earth Quake in 2005 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 27, 2019
Few photos are being shared on Facebook as the bodies of terrorists killed and the debris of the building involved in the IAF strike on JeM training camp at Balakot. Let us ascertain the veracity of these pictures.
Photos of dead bodies of  terrorists and building debris due to IAF strike on JeM training camp at Balakot
The pictures being claimed as the dead bodies of terrorists and building debris struck by IAF jets are actually the images captured at the time of an deadly earth quake in the same place in the year 2005. Hence the claim is The earthquake hit Azad Kashmir and Northen Pakistan then.
A reverse image search on the photos show that the pictures being claimed as the dead bodies of terrorists and building struck by IAF jets are actually the images captured at the time of an deadly earth quake that hit Azad Kashmir and Northen Pakistan in the year 2005 and reportedly claiming 80,000 people and injuring about 1,00,000 persons. The original  pictures can be found on gettyimages website as well here and here.
Finally, the photos posted on Facebook as the outcome of  Indian Air Force attack are actually those taken in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake. Hence the claim is false.

created: February 27, 2019


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These photos of a crying photographer are old and unrelated to the Ram Mandir inauguration. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 24, 2024
A collage of photos featuring the Lord Ram idol, which was recently consecrated at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and a photographer allegedly crying at the idol’s sight, is doing the rounds on social media. ‘…Even the cameraman couldn’t stop his emotions..’ reads the description of a Facebook post that shares this video. Let’s verify the authenticity of this claim through this article.
Claim: The viral photos show a photographer who got emotional and cried at the sight of Lord Ram’s idol during the consecration at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
Fact: These photos are from 2019 and have nothing to do with the inauguration of Ram Mandir or India. This incident took place during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Football competition. During a match between Qatar and Iraq, an Iraqi photographer became emotional as Iraq lost the game, which led to them getting knocked out of the competition. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we performed a reverse image search on the internet using the three different images of the photographer from the viral collage. This search led us to a 2019 tweet that featured one of these images. This tweet was posted on the official handle of the AFC Asian Cup on 24 January 2019, which described this as a passionate and emotional moment for an Iraqi photographer during a round-of-16 clash against Qatar.
Passionate. Emotional moment for an Iraqi photographer during the Round of 16 clash against 🇶🇦 ! #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/KZoXsp1N4U
A further search led us to a few ‘X’ posts (here and here) from 2019 that contained all the viral images.
A picture that captures the emotion of football. This Iraqi photographer is seen crying behind the camera as his team were knocked out of the Asian Cup in the UAE this week #AsianCup #AFCAsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/tprpGgroAq
According to news reports (here and here) from January 2019, Muhammad Amer Al-Azzawi, the photographer seen in the viral images, became emotional during an AFC Asian Cup match between his home country’s team, Iraq and Qatar, as his team lost to the latter, which knocked them out of the competition.
Egyptian news website ‘Masrawy’ interviewed Muhammad after this incident, and he said, “In those moments, I remembered my days in the streets of Baghdad, and the streets of Iraq in general. Everyone was in the stadium wishing to return happily, but this did not happen, unfortunately.”
In the past, when the same set of photographs went viral relating them to contexts completely unrelated to this football match, Factly debunked them and published detailed fact-check articles, which you can read here, here, and here.
To sum up, the viral photos of a photographer crying are old and unrelated to the inauguration of Ram Mandir.

created: January 24, 2024


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These photos of social distancing in a market were taken in Kalaw market (Myanmar), not in Manipur or Mizoram (India) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 27, 2020
A photo of vendors maintaining social distancing in a market is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the photo was taken in Manipur. Some users have shared (archived) that the photo was taken in Mizoram. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Photo of social distancing in a market was taken in Manipur (India).
Fact: The photo was taken neither in Manipur nor in Mizoram. It was taken at the Kalaw market in the Shan state of Myanmar. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Below the photo, a user has commented that the photo was taken at ‘the Kalaw market in the Shan state of Myanmar’.
@Chopsyturvey that pic is not in https://t.co/Woew8gzEHE is only the Kalaw market in Shan state of Myanmar.
So, when searched with keywords, many tweets and news blog articles were found saying that the photos were taken in Myanmar (not in any Indian State). As the photos are being shared in both the countries, let’s look for some clues to confirm the location of the photos.
Clue 1:
When searched for the Kalaw market photos on Google, a photo similar to the location in the posted photo was found.
Clue 2:
On a hoarding, in the photo, an advertisement with the brand ‘High Class’ can be seen. So, when searched with the keywords, it was found that it is the advertisement of ‘Seagram’s High Class – Myanmar’. (Seagram’s High Class Whisky was launched in Myanmar in October 2018)
Also, other photos of the same hoarding taken at different times with different types of advertisements can be found here and here. (The location of those photos was mentioned as Kalaw market, Myanmar).
Clue 3:
Some more latest photos of the same market were found on Twitter. In those photos, the vendors are sitting under the umbrellas of ‘mytel’. ‘mytel’ is a mobile network company in Myanmar.
To sum it up, with all the clues found, it can be concluded that the market photos were taken in Myanmar, not in India.
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These pictures do not show Virat-Anushka’s, newborn baby - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2021
Some pictures are being shared on social media with a claim that they show Virat-Anushka’s, newborn baby. Virat Kohli has tweeted on 11 January 2020 that they have been blessed with a baby girl. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Pictures of Virat-Anushka’s newborn baby.
Fact: These pictures do not show Virat-Anushka’s, newborn baby. As on today, neither Virat Kohli nor Anushka Sharma has shared any pictures of their daughter on their social media handles. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Photo 1:
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found in an article published by NDTV on World Breastfeeding Week in August 2017. The photo can be also found on the ‘Getty Images’ website. In another photo, on the ‘Getty Images’ website, the face of the mother can be seen.
Photo 2:
This baby photo was found in a blog published in 2018. Other pictures of the same baby can be seen here. So, this baby is also not the daughter of Virat-Anushka.
Some news agencies have shared a photo saying it shows the feet of Virat-Anushka’s daughter. They have reported that the photo was posted by Vikas Kohli (Virat Kohli’s brother). But later, Vikas Kohli clarified that it is a random picture and not the actual picture of the baby.
The same photo can be found in an article on the ‘Yahoo’ website. The photo’s credit is given as ‘Antonio V. Oquias/shutterstock’. The photo can be found on the ‘Shutterstock’ website.
To sum it up, unrelated photos are being falsely shared as pictures of Virat-Anushka’s newborn baby.

created: January 12, 2021


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These pictures of dead Chinese soldiers are not related to the 2020 Galwan clash - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 25, 2022
A couple of photos are being shared on social media with a claim that they show the Chinese soldiers killed in the Galwan clash with India, which happened in 2020. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos of Chinese soldiers killed in the 2020 Galwan clash with India.
Fact: The posted pictures are not related to the 2020 Galwan clash. They are related to a 2010 fire accident in China. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photos were run through Google Reverse Image Search, one of the posted photos was found in an article published in 2010. The other photo in the post also has similar surroundings as seen in the photos from the 2010 article. The photos show the bodies of the people killed in a grassland fire in China.
Multiple news reports regarding the 2010 incident can be read here, here, and here. In the ‘South China Morning Post’ article, it can be read that “of the fatalities, 15 were soldiers, two were workers with the grassland administration while five others were local residents…”
To sum it up, the posted pictures of dead Chinese soldiers are not related to the 2020 Galwan clash.

created: November 25, 2022


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These pictures show Sonia and Rahul Gandhi with chef Augusto Cabrera, not businessman Navneet Kalra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 11, 2021
A collage with a couple of images is being shared on social media claiming it as the pictures of Delhi-based businessman Navneet Kalra, posing with Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Recently, Delhi Police personnel have seized more than 500 oxygen concentrators in Navneet Kalra’s Khan Chacha, Town Hall, and Nege & Ju restaurants in Delhi. In the wake of Navneet Kalra’s oxygen concentrator black marketing case, this photo collage is being shared on social media.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Delhi-based businessman Navneet Kalra posing with Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
Fact: The person posing with Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the photos is Chef Augusto Cabrera, a managing partner at Town Hall restaurant that is owned by businessman Navneet Kalra. Recently, Delhi Police personnel have seized more than 500 oxygen concentrators in Navneet Kalra’s Khan Chacha, Town Hall, and Nege & Ju restaurants in Delhi. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On searching for this photo collage on Navneet Kalra’s social media handles, a similar photo was found posted on Navneet Kalra Facebook page, on 28 January 2019. Tagging this photo collage to Augusto Cabrera, Navneet Kalra mentioned that the image was taken on 23 January 2015 at his Town Hall restaurant in Delhi.
When we searched for the details of Augusto Cabrera on the Town Hall restaurant website, we found that Augusto Cabrera is a master chef turned entrepreneur who is working at Navneet Kalra owned Town Hall restaurant in Delhi. On searching on the Augusto Cabrera Facebook profile, we found a few pictures of Augusto Cabrera. These pictures confirm that the person posing with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi is Town Hall restaurant chef Augusto Cabrera.
On comparing the photos of Delhi-based businessman Navneet Kalra and the person in the photo collage, it can be observed that the person posing with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is not the Delhi oxygen black marketing case accused Navneet Kalra.
To sum it up, the person posing with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in these photos is Town Hall restaurant master chef Augusto Cabrera, not the Delhi oxygen black-marketing accused Navneet Kalra.


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These provisions that discriminate against Hindus are not mentioned in the PCTV bill by Congress - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 19, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that the Congress government in 2013 wanted to bring in the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (PCTV) bill in favour of Muslims. The video alleges that this law can be invoked only against the Hindus by Muslims. Muslims, who commit violence and spew hate against Hindus cannot be booked under this new law as they are exempt from it. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Provisions listed under various sections of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (PCTV) bill discriminate against Hindus. This bill was introduced by the Congress led UPA government in the Parliament in 2013.
Fact: Most of the provisions stated in the video that allegedly discriminate against Hindus are actually not mentioned in the PCTV bill. Section 7 only talks about meaning of sexual assault, but it doesn’t talk about any religion or community as claimed. Section 42 also doesn’t talk about any religion or community, it only states that any statement made by a person while giving evidence before the National Authority cannot be used against him in any civil or criminal proceedings. Also, there is no such clause or section in the bill under which a Hindu will be prosecuted if he declines to sell his house to a Muslim. In the Bill, ‘group’ can be read as meaning a religious or linguistic minority or SC, ST. However, some reports said that the bills were against Hindus as the majority are Hindus in most cases, and they will suffer under these bills. Hence, the claim made is Misleading.
Upon searching the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (PCTV) bill, we have found several news reports (here, here, here) regarding this bill. Based on these reports and further research, we found that a similar bill, The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 05 December 2005, by then home minister Shivraj Patil. It was reviewed by the standing committee on home affairs (then led by Sushma Swaraj), which gave its report in 2006.
Subsequently, a new bill titled ‘The Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Repatriations) Bill, 2011’, has been prepared by the  National Advisory Council which was led by Sonia Gandhi and the same has been approved by the Cabinet.
In February 2014, notices have been given for the introduction of said Bill in the Rajya Sabha and the withdrawal of The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005.
The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005 was withdrawn by the then Congress government, but they couldn’t introduce the new bill ‘The Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Repatriations) Bill’ as there was opposition in the Rajya Sabha. The Deputy Chairman after taking sense of the House, deferred the introduction of the Bill.
Let us now look at each of the claims made in the video about the alleged provisions in the bill that discriminate against Hindus.
PCTV Bill is based on presumption that communal riots are always committed only by the Hindus and never by Muslims?
According to the PCTV bill, there is no such clause or rule in favour of Muslims. In the 2011 Bill, ‘group’ can be read as meaning a religious or linguistic minority or SC, ST. However, some said that the bill was against Hindus as the majority are Hindus in most cases, and they will suffer under these bills.
Section 42 in PCTV bill states that no Muslim can be prosecuted even if he made false allegations on a Hindu regarding riots?
According to the PCTV bill, there is no such clause or rule that states that a Muslim cannot be prosecuted even if he made false allegations on a Hindu regarding riots with a motto to trap him in the case. Section 42 only states that any statement made by a person while giving evidence before the National Authority cannot be used against that person in any civil or criminal proceedings. In other words, the person is protected from having their own testimony used to incriminate them in legal actions.
Section 7 in PCTV bill states that if a Muslim woman is sexually assaulted, whole Hindu community will be prosecuted and if same happens with Hindu woman, no Muslim will be prosecuted?
According to the PCTV bill, there is no such clause or rule in favour of Muslims. Section 7 only talks about the meaning of sexual assault, but it doesn’t talk about any religion or community as claimed in the video.
A Hindu will be prosecuted if he declines to sell his house to a Muslim?
There is no such clause or section in the PCTV bill that states that a Hindu will be prosecuted if he declines to sell his house to a Muslim who wants to buy a house owned by the Hindu.
To sum it up, these provisions discriminating against Hindus are not mentioned in the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (PCTV) bill drafted during the Congress led UPA regime.

created: December 19, 2023


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These purported News templates reporting opinion poll results of MCD and Gujarat Elections are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 5, 2022
Multiple screenshots of ‘ABP News’ bulletins are being shared on social media claiming them to be ABP C-Voter opinion poll results of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Gujarat Elections. They can be seen here and here. One of the posts claims that the ABP C-Voter survey has predicted BJP’s victory in the MCD elections, saying BJP will secure 145 seats in the MCD elections. And, in another post, a user claimed that an opinion poll had predicted 49-54 seats for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the first phase of the Gujarat Elections. Let’s verify the claims made in the post.
Claim: Screenshots showing the ABP News opinion poll results of the MCD and the Gujarat Elections.
Fact: The photos shared in the post are edited ones. The ABP News C-Voter survey did predict BJP victory in the MCD elections, but only with a slender margin compared to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. The ABP C-Voter opinion poll predicted 118-134 seats for BJP and 104-124 seats for AAP in the MCD Elections. Also, the ABP C-Voter survey has predicted only 7-15 seats for AAP in the Gujarat Elections. Hence, the claims made in these posts are FALSE.
Claim 1:
The post claims that the ABP C-Voter survey has predicted 145 seats for BJP, 50 seats for AAP, 30 seats for Congress, and 20 for others in the MCD elections held for 250 municipal wards in Delhi. Also, the purported news bulletin reports that as of 12 pm, 60% of voting was recorded in the MCD elections. But the overall voting percentage recorded in the MCD elections, which took place on 03 December 2022, was only around 50%
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords on the internet, we found the ABP C-Voter opinion poll results in an article published by the ‘ABP News’ channel on 09 November 2022. The ABP C-voter survey predicted 118-134 seats for BJP, 104-124 seats for AAP, 4-12 for Congress in the MCD elections. ABP C-voter survey reported a tough fight between BJP and AAP in the Delhi Municipal Elections. The screenshot shared in the post shows the template of the ‘ABP News’ live ground reporting of the MCD Elections 2022. But throughout the live telecast, ABP News telecasted the 2017 MCD Elections results on the template. A few visuals of ABP reporter Jainendra Kumar’s ground reporting on the day of the MCD Elections can be seen here, here and here. The ABP C-voter opinion poll did not predict 145 seats for BJP and only 50 seats for AAP in the MCD Elections 2022.
Claim 2:
The post shared a couple of images and claims that an opinion poll survey predicted 49-54 seats for AAP and 35-38 seats for BJP in the first phase of the Gujarat Elections. The screenshots show the First Breaking News template of ‘ABP News’. But the ABP C-Voter opinion poll survey has predicted AAP getting only a handful of seats in the Gujarat first-phase elections held for 89 seats in the Saurashtra and Southern Gujarat regions on 01 December 2022. The ABP C-Voter final survey poll reported 134-142 seats for BJP, 28-36 seats for Congress and only 7-15 seats for AAP in the overall Gujarat Elections. The exit poll of Gujarat Elections will be announced after 5:30 pm on 05 December 2022. ABP C-voter opinion survey did not predict 49-54 seats for AAP in the first phase of the Gujarat Elections.
To sum it up, these purported ABP News templates reporting the opinion poll results of the MCD and the Gujarat Elections are fake.

created: December 5, 2022


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These purported NTV and Way2News Clippings about Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s statements on auctioning temple lands for Muslim Welfare are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 13, 2023
A screenshot of a news bulletin purportedly broadcast by NTV is being shared on social media claiming that Revanth Reddy, the newly appointed Chief Minister of Telangana, announced his intention to sell temple lands for the welfare of Muslims in the state. A few users shared a screenshot of a Way2News report claiming the same that Revanth Reddy is going to auction temple lands to raise funds for the Muslim declaration of the Congress party. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy announced that he would auction of temple lands to raise funds for the Muslim Declaration and other Muslim welfare schemes in the state.
Fact: Revanth Reddy did not make any such announcement regarding raising funds for Muslim welfare schemes by auctioning temple lands. NTV Telugu Digital Manager through a tweet confirmed that the viral screenshot attributed to the NTV is fake. Further, Way2News issued a clarification stating that a fake report, using their logo, circulated such misinformation about Revanth Reddy on social media. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched to check whether Revanth Reddy had made any such announcement about raising funds for Muslim declaration or any other Muslim welfare schemes by auctioning temple lands, we could not find any news report confirming this. Also, we could not find any such news broadcast on the official YouTube of the NTV. If Revanth Reddy had made any such announcement on raising funds for the Muslim declaration, several media organisations would have published articles reporting that information.
NTV Digital Manager Chilukuri Srinivas Rao through a tweet confirmed that the viral screenshot attributed to the NTV news channel is fake, and said they will take legal action against those who create such fake news in the name of NTV on social media.
ఈ వార్తకు ఎన్టీవీ కి ఎలాంటి సంబంధం లేదు, ఇది ఫేక్ న్యూస్ ,ఎన్ టీవీ పేరుతో ఇలాంటి ఫేక్ న్యూస్ లు క్రియేట్ చేసే వారిపై చట్టపరమైన చర్యలు తీసుకోబడతాయి.@BJP4Telangana @BRSparty @INCTelangana @revanth_anumula pic.twitter.com/u4il1xZa4H
A team of Congress leaders also submitted a petition to the Cyber Crime police urging the authorities to take action against the persons, who had morphed, fabricated, and made a television screenshot purportedly showing Revanth Reddy making comments that could promote enmity among the religions.
Upon searching for the details of the Way2News report circulating on social media, we found a tweet published by ‘Fact-check by Way2News’ related to the viral screenshot. Sharing the image of the viral screenshot, Way2News tweeted, “This is not a #Way2News story. Some miscreants are spreading misinformation using our logo and the ‘attached post’ has gone viral.   We confirm that this has not been published by us.”
This is not a #Way2News story. Some miscreants are spreading misinformation using our logo and the 'attached post' has gone viral.   We confirm that this has not been published by us. pic.twitter.com/wapPITfxPK
To sum it up, Revanth Reddy did not make any announcement on raising funds for Muslim welfare schemes by auctioning temple lands.

created: December 13, 2023


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These purported statements of Saudi preacher Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar predicting the rapid spread of Islam in India are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 28, 2023
A post circulating on social media claims that Saudi professor Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar, in a statement, said, “India is in a deep sleep. Islam is growing rapidly and thousands of Muslims have infiltrated the Police, Army, and Bureaucracy and entered important organisations. Islam is the second-largest religion in India. Today India is also on the brink of extinction. Just as the rise of a nation takes decades, its destruction requires time. India will not end overnight. It will be gradually removed. We as Muslims pursue it very seriously. India will definitely perish.” According to the post, Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar stated that the Muslim population in India currently is above 25% and asserted that no one can stop India from becoming a Muslim-majority country by 2050. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Saudi professor Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar’s statement about the rapid spread of Islam in India.
Fact: Saudi preacher Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar made similar statements referring to the United States of America, not India. Nasser Al-Omar, while expressing his support for the Iraqi resistance against the US during an interview with Al-Majd channel in 2004, said that America was collapsing from within and was on its way to destruction. During the interview, Nasser Al-Omar mentioned that thousands of Muslims had already enlisted in the American army, and Islam had emerged as the second-largest religion in America. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched to check whether Saudi professor Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar had made any such statements about India becoming a Muslim-majority nation by 2050, we could not find any credible reports.
Upon searching for further details, we found that Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar had made similar statements referring to the United States of America in 2004. Nasser Al-Omar, while supporting the Iraqi resistance to the US, during an interview with Al-Majd channel in June 2004, said, “America is collapsing from within … Islam is advancing according to a steady plan, to the point that tens of thousands of Muslims have joined the American army and Islam is the second largest religion in America. Today, America is defeated. I have no doubt, not even for a minute, that America is on its way to destruction.“
Further, Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar, while delivering a lecture on the Al-Jazeera news site in 2006, said, “The Islamic nation now faces a great phase of jihad. There are places where jihad is proper – Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Chechnya, Kashmir, and the Philippines.” However, Suleiman Al-Omar did not make all the above statements highlighting the rapid spread of Islam in India.
As per the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in India was only ‘14.2%’. According to a 2021 report published by the ‘Pew Research Centre’, as of 2020, approximately 15% of the Indian population is Muslim. As per the study, Muslims are expected to continue to grow slowly and are predicted to account for 18.4% of India’s total population by 2050. The research study emphasized that Hindus will remain the majority religion in India by 2050. The fact-check articles, previously published by Factly, debunk similar claims related to the Muslim population and their birth rates in India. Those articles can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, Saudi professor Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Omar did not make any statements saying India would become a Muslim-majority nation by 2050.

created: December 28, 2023


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These roads full of potholes are not from Aurangabad, Maharashtra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 13, 2020
A collage with the photos of the roads full of potholes is being shared on social media claiming it as the condition of roads in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos of the roads full of potholes in Aurangabad.
Fact: These photos of roads full of potholes are from different locations of the world. These photos have nothing to do with the Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The photo is a collage of multiple individual photos. Let’s verify the source of origin for each of these.
Photo-1: Chicago (America)
Photo-2: Darlington (England)
Photo-3: Russia
Photo-4: Mumbai
Photo 5: Saketh Road, Thane ( Maharashtra)
Photo-6: Kalyan (Maharashtra)
Photo-7: Mumbai
There is no evidence to prove that the remaining photos in the post are from Aurangabad. The same photos were also shared linking them to the condition of roads in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and the fact-check by Factly can be read here.
To sum it up, these roads full of potholes are not from the Aurangabad, Maharashtra

created: October 13, 2020


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These rounded mirror cups and saucer sets are not listed in the Guinness Book of World Records - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 13, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that the cup and saucer sets shown in the video have won the Guinness Book of World Records for beautification. The video shows a few sets of rounded mirror cups and saucers reflecting the illusions of animal creatures. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing cup and saucer sets that have won the Guinness Book of World Records for beautification.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows rounded mirror cups and saucer sets designed by Luycho, a Korea-based mirror cup manufacturing company. Luycho designs artworks and products based on the reflection of mirrors. These rounded mirrored cups designed by Luycho are never listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel in 2019, with the title, “Look at these amazing coffee cups from Luycho.” Also, one could see the watermark of ‘Luycho’ on the right top of the video. When we searched for this video using relevant keywords on the internet, we  found the same visuals in a video published on the ‘Luycho’ Instagram page on 02 July 2019. ‘Luycho’ published this video with a description, “The Amur leopard is native to the Primorye region of Russia and China. However, due to habitat loss, they began to die out. Please don’t forget. Amur Leopard is one of the most popular designs in Luycho.”
A post shared by 루이초 (@luycho)
Luycho is a Korea-based manufacturing company that designs artworks and products based on the reflection of mirrors. A few other rounded mirror cups designed by Luycho can be seen here and here. These mirror cups designed by Luycho are available for sale on many e-commerce sites. Neither the about section of the Luycho nor the description of Luycho mirror cups on e-commerce sites stated that these mirror cups were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
When we searched to check if any mirror cup designed by Luycho was listed in the Guinness World Records for beautification, we could not find any such record on the list of Guinness World Records.
To sum it up, these rounded mirror cups designed by Luycho are not listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

created: January 13, 2023


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These screenshots show tweets posted from fan page accounts of Sonu Nigam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 1, 2020
Screenshots of the tweets purportedly made by singer Sonu Nigam are being circulated widely on social media. They can be seen here and here. In these tweets, Sonu Nigam states that he is going to boycott Amitabh Bachhan’s KBC and Salman Khan’s Big Boss shows. He also claims that some Bollywood goons are threatening him for his tweets in support of Sushant and Kangana. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Sonu Nigam tweets about boycotting Bollywood star’s shows and threatening calls from Bollywood goons.
Fact: These tweets are posted from the fan page (parody) accounts of singer Sonu Nigam. Sonu Nigam doesn’t have an account on twitter. Hence the claims made in the post are FALSE.
On searching for the official twitter handle of singer Sonu Nigam, it is found that Sonu Nigam doesn’t have an account on twitter. Using the usernames mentioned in the screenshots, we found the accounts that posted these tweets on twitter. They can be seen here and here. These twitter handles clearly mentioned in their profile that they are the fan page (parody) accounts of singer Sonu Nigam.
Sonu Nigam’s sister Teesha Nigam confirmed in a tweet that Sonu Nigam is not on twitter. Sonu Nigam himself clarified on his official Facebook page that he doesn’t have an account on twitter.
Sonu Nigam raised his voice against the Bollywood ‘Music Mafia’ following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. In ‘Times Now’ news channel’s interview, he said ‘Power play and Nepotism does exist in Bollywood’. He also said in the interview that he believes all the allegations made by actress Kangana Ranaut on Bollywood. However, the screenshots in the viral posts show tweets from fan page accounts of Sonu Nigam.
To sum it up, the tweets about boycotting Bollywood star shows and threatening calls from Bollywood goons were posted from the fan page accounts of Sonu Nigam.

created: October 1, 2020


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These Social media posts offering E-commerce products at discounted prices are fraudulent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 6, 2023
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the e-commerce site Amazon is selling their unclaimed packages for $19.99 to customers. The post shared a URL to a website and asked the users to click on the link to purchase the unclaimed or undelivered packages from Amazon. Similar posts have been circulating on social media at least since 2021. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The purported website of Amazon that is selling unclaimed packages of Amazon for $19.99.
Fact: The URL directs to a suspicious website, ‘inventoryretailstore.com’, whose registrar has a high percentage of spammers and fraud sites. The owner of the website uses Privacy Guardian and other services to hide his/her identity. A spokesperson of Amazon confirmed that Amazon sells that cannot be re-sold to third-party buyers. These third-party buyers will subsequently sell the liquidated products to their own customers. However, the website link shared in the post is not connected or associated with the Amazon site in any way. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On clicking the URL provided in the post, the link directs you to the website ‘inventoryretailstore.com’. Only a limited number of products of carved sculptures and decoration lights are available for sale on this site.
On searching for further details of this website on the ‘Whois’ site, we found that the website had been registered just one month prior, in August 2023. The owner of the website uses Privacy Guardian and other services to hide his/her identity. The Scam Adviser site informed ‘inventoryretailstore.com’ as a suspicious website. As per the analysis of Scam Adviser, the registrar of the website has a high percentage of spammers and fraud sites.
Typically, all undeliverable packages or unclaimed packages will be returned to the Amazon Fulfillment Centers, or to the warehouses of sellers who choose the self-ship option. If a product is returned or cannot be shipped to the customer’s designated address, the customer will receive a refund, and the returned products are placed back into inventory for resale to other customers. If the seller chooses the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) option, Amazon will completely manage the return and resale of the products.
Speaking about these viral posts to ‘Lead Stories’, an Amazon spokesperson said, “At Amazon, the majority of returns are resold as ‘new or ‘used,’ returned to suppliers and sellers or donated. In some instances, we sell returns that cannot be resold to third-party buyers who sell the liquidated product to their own customers.”
Amazon sells its bulk pallets of unopened overstock products on its website. Customers are instructed to send an email to ‘bulk-liquidations-beta@amazon.com’ to inquire about purchasing these overstock products. Websites like ‘Liquidation.com’ also sell the bulk overstock products of Amazon. However, the website link provided in the post is fraudulent and is in no way associated with Amazon.
Earlier, FACTLY debunked similar claims about contests offering gifts from Amazon, Flipkart, Rolex, and other websites. Those articles can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, this purported website of Amazon offering unclaimed packages at discounted prices is a fraudulent one.

created: September 6, 2023


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These statements of support for Adani's Mumbai airport acquisition were not made by Subramanian Swamy - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2023
A social media post featuring an image of former BJP MP Dr. Subramanian Swamy claims that he made a statement regarding Adani’s Mumbai Airport acquisition. The post alleges that Swamy said, “The truth is that Adani did not buy these 74% shares from the Indian government but bought 74% from multiple foreign partners which Congress had sold in 2006!”. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Subramanian Swamy stating that Adani did not acquire the 74% shares of Mumbai Airport from the Indian government, but instead purchased them from multiple foreign partners who Congress sold in 2006.
Fact: These statements were not made by Dr Subramanian Swamy. In fact, Swami accused Adani of not repaying the loans and using nepotism to obtain stake in Mumbai Airport. Also, Adani Group has 74% stake in Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, post the stake purchase transaction, with 50.5% being bought from GVK Group and 23.5% Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), and Bidvest Group. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
During our investigation, we found that the same post was shared in 2021 when Adani Group acquired a 74% stake in Mumbai International Airport Limited. However, the statements were not attributed to Dr Subramanian Swamy at that time. We also searched through Swamy’s various social media accounts and also checked multiple media reports, but we could not find any evidence of him making the statement referred to in the social media post. However, during the process of Adani’s acquisition of Mumbai Airport from the GVK group in 2021, Swamy made allegations that Adani had not repaid the loans and had used nepotism to secure the Mumbai airport deal.
Recently, during a Parliament speech on 07 February 2023, Rahul Gandhi made a series accusations against the Adani Group, stating that they were handed control of the Mumbai airport after it was taken away from the GVK. Dr Swami in an interview on 29 January 2023, while discussing the Hindenburg report on the Adani Group, once again accused Adani of using investigative agencies to pressure the GVK group into giving up control of the Mumbai Airport. However, the GVK group denied “extraneous pressure” from anyone to sell the Mumbai airport.
Coming to Adani’s Mumbai Airport acquisition, as per the media reports, Adani Group has a 74% stake in Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, post the stake purchase transaction, with 50.5% being bought from GVK Group and 23.5% from minority partners including Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), and Bidvest Group.
To sum it up, there is no conclusive evidence to support the assertion that Subramanian Swamy made any statements regarding the Adani Group and the Congress Party in relation to the Mumbai airport deal.

created: February 22, 2023


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These sunlight photos are not related to the Konark Temple in Odisha (India) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 3, 2020
Some photos are being shared widely on social media with a claim that they show sunrise at the Konark Temple in Odisha. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Sunrise photos taken at the Konark Temple in Odisha.
Fact: While one of the photos was taken at the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, the other two photos were taken at the Phanom Rung temple in Thailand. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Photo 1:
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found on a travel website with the following description – ‘Angkor Wat sunrise’. So, when searched with the keywords, a similar photo of the ‘Angkor Wat’ temple was found on the ‘Getty Images’ website. Many similarities can be seen in both photos.
Also, the same view of the Angkor Wat temple can be seen by facing east in the temple complex on Google Street View.
Photo 2:
A similar photo was found on the ‘Shutterstock’ website, with the following description – ‘Amazing Tourists visit the Prasat Hin Phanom Rung – Entrance gate with sunlight shine through the door in Prasat Phanom Rung Historical Park ancient Khmer temple’. Again, the similarities between the two pictures can be seen.
Also, the Google Street View confirms that the photo was taken at the entrance gate of the Phanom Rung temple in Thailand. In the ‘Bangkok Post’ article, the following can be read – ‘From March 31 to April 2, the Phanom Rung Historical Park Festival will take place at Phanom Rung Historical Park, Buri Ram province, providing visitors a once-a-year chance to see the rays of the rising Sun through all 15 doors of the sanctuary’.
Photo 3:
This photo is also related to Phanom Rung temple in Thailand. A similar photo can be found in a blog article on the Phanom Rung temple. There are many doors in the temple; the similarities in the design of the doors can be seen in both the photos.
A Google Street view of one of the similar doors in the Phanom Rang temple can be seen below.
To sum it up, none of the posted photos are related to the Konark Temple in Odisha (India).
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These tax comparison numbers under Manmohan and Modi are Misleading - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2019
An image has been shared by the ‘Nation with Namo’ page on the Facebook saying that under the Economist Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) the income limit for tax exemption is very less when compared to the income limit for tax exemption under the Reformist Prime Minister (Narendra Modi).  Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
In 2004, under the Manmohan government, there was no tax on income upto Rs. 50,000. In 2019, under the Modi government, there is no tax on income upto Rs. 5,00,000.
There was no tax on income upto Rs. 50,000 in 2004 but that limit can be extended to Rs. 1,00,000 by taking tax rebate. When the tax is rebated there is no effective tax on the income, so there was no tax on the income upto Rs 1,00,000 in 2004. In 2019, Rs. 5,00,000 tax exemption limit is after considering the tax rebate. Without the tax rebate, the actual income limit for no income tax is just Rs. 2,50,000 (in 2019). So the claim is MISLEADING.
Even though the numbers posted are true, they are compared in a misleading way. The figures in the first year of the Manmohan Singh government are compared with the figures in the last year of the Modi government. Also, the effects of inflation and economic growth rate were not considered while comparing the tax exemption limits. Actually, the income limit for no tax in the last year of Manmohan government was Rs. 2,00,000 (without tax rebate). The same was Rs. 2,50,000 (without tax rebate) under the Modi government in 2019.
Finally, the numbers shown in the post are misleading. In the post, the limit under the Manmohan government is taken without tax rebate and the first year of the government is considered whereas the limit under the Modi government is taken with tax rebate and the last year of the government is considered.

created: February 26, 2019


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These three sisters have secured ranks in Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination, not the UPSC - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 25, 2021
A picture of three women posing with flower garlands is being shared on social media claiming them as three sisters who cleared UPSC examination together and became Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of the three sisters who cleared UPSC examination and became Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.
Fact: The three sisters in the photo were felicitated for clearing the Rajasthan civil service examination (RAS – Rajasthan Administrative Service), not the Indian Civil Service Examination (UPSC).  The three sisters Kamala Chaudhary, Geeta Chaudhary, and Mamata Chaudhary have secured 32, 64, and 128 ranks in Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) Examination, and are natives of Jaipur district. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by the ‘News 18 Hindi’ news website on 28 July 2019. This article reported that the three sisters from Rajasthan’s Saranga Ka Bas village were selected together in the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) Examination. In the article, it is reported that the women’s mother, Meera Devi had laboured day and night in the farm fields to educate her daughters. The three sisters were felicitated for their success in the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) Examination.
The ‘Jagran’ news website had published an article reporting the success story of the three sisters. According to the article, the three sisters Kamala Chaudhary, Geeta Chaudhary, and Mamata Chaudhary have secured 32, 64, and 128 ranks in Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) Examination. Further, this article reported that the three sisters had attempted the UPSC Examination and fell short by a few marks.
Several other news websites have also published articles about the success story of the three sisters. They can be seen here, and here. From, all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the three sisters in the photo have cleared the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination, not the UPSC.
To sum it up, these three sisters have secured ranks in Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination, not the UPSC.


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These tweets against the Congress party are not made by G.D. Bakshi and Ranjan Gogoi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 23, 2021
A screenshot of a couple of tweets purportedly made by the retired combat veteran G.D. Bakshi and the former CJI and present Rajya Sabha Member Ranjan Gogoi is being shared on social media claiming that these tweets represent their anguish over the Congress party and their leader Indira Gandhi. This purported tweet of GD Bhakshi states, “200 rupees water and 2000 rupees electricity will be saved, but after 20 years we cannot save our house and our sisters and daughters. Kashmiri Pandits are witnesses” (when translated from Hindi to English). The purported tweet of Ranjan Gogoi claims that the late Congress leader Indira Gandhi had provided a lifelong pension to the Muslim cook who poisoned Lal Bahadur Shastri and later, fled to Pakistan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Screenshot of G.D. Bakshi and Ranjan Gogoi tweets against the Congress party.
Fact: The tweets shared in the screenshot are morphed. Retired Major General G.D. Bakshi had not made any such tweet on his official Twitter handle. Former CJI and present Rajya Sabha member doesn’t have an account on Twitter. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Tweet-1:
When we searched for this tweet on the official Twitter handle of Retired Major General G.D. Bakshi, we could not find any such tweet on his Twitter handle. The Twitter profile picture in the screenshot is not the same as the profile picture of the original Twitter handle of G.D. Bakshi. Also, this screenshot does not show the username as that of a normal tweet on Twitter.
The veteran army General G.D. Bakshi had several times criticized the Congress party and its leaders for their remarks on the Indian Army. But G.D. Bakshi had not made any tweet taking a stand against the Congress party and in support of the BJP party. We found that the parody accounts (here and here )  in the name of G.D. Bakshi had also not made this tweet against the Congress party.
Tweet-2:
On searching for the official Twitter handle of Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, we found that Ranjan Gogoi does not have an account on Twitter. If the former CJI and present Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi had made such a statement on Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death, several media outlets would have published articles reporting this information. But we could not find a single article reporting this news.
A parody (fan page) Twitter account of Ranjan Gogoi had the same profile picture and name as seen in the photo. Even this parody fan page account had also not made such a tweet linking Indira Gandhi to Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death.
Earlier, when tweets of parody (fan page) Twitter accounts of Ranjan Gogoi were shared on social media, FACTLY published fact-check articles debunking those claims. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, the tweets in this screenshot against the Congress party are not made by G.D. Bakshi and Ranjan Gogoi.

created: November 23, 2021


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These tweets in support of farmers’ protest are from a parody account of Naseeruddin Shah - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 10, 2021
Screenshots of a series of tweets supporting the ongoing farmers’ protests purportedly made by the Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah are being shared on social media. These tweets show Naseeruddin Shah’s support for the farmers’ demands for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and criticism for the Government actions in favour of the corporate businessmen. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Naseeruddin Shah’s tweets supporting the ongoing farmers’ protests.
Fact: In a recent interview, Naseeruddin Shah expressed his support to the farmers protesting against the new farm laws. But, these tweets were posted from a fan page (parody) account of the Bollywood actor. Naseeruddin Shah’s wife Ratna Pathak Shah clarified to the media that he has no account on Twitter. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for the official Twitter handle of Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah, we found out that Naseeruddin Shah has no official Twitter account. Naseeruddin Shah has verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram No such posts supporting the farmers’ protests were found on these social media handles of Naseeruddin Shah. On searching for the Twitter handle mentioned in the screenshots, we found that these tweets were made from a fan page (parody) account of Naseeruddin Shah that clearly states in the description that it is not affiliated with Naseeruddin Shah.
Naseeruddin Shah’s wife Ratna Pathak Shah recently gave a clarification to the media that his husband does not have an account on Twitter. Ratna Pathak Shah said that they have been quite annoyed with the fake Twitter profiles of Naseeruddin Shah, operating since July 2019. News articles on Ratna Pathak Shah clarification can be seen here and here.
In a recent interview, Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah expressed his support for the ongoing farmers’ agitation. In the interview, he questioned the Bollywood celebrities’ silence over the farmers’ issues. News articles on Naseeruddin Shah’s statements can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, these tweets supporting the ongoing farmers’ protests were posted from the fan page (parody) account of Naseeruddin Shah.

created: February 10, 2021


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These tweets on suffering of farmers, and on PM Modi, were made from imposter accounts of Neeraj Chopra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 13, 2021
Couple of posts with screenshots of certain tweets are being shared on social media claiming those tweets are from Neeraj Chopra. The supposed tweets talk about the situation of farmers in India, and PM Modi. The posts can be seen here and here. Let us fact-check the claim made in these posts.
Claim: Neeraj Chopra tweets on suffering of farmers due to government atrocities, and on PM Modi.
Fact: These alleged tweets by Neeraj Chopra on the suffering of farmers due to government atrocities, and on PM Modi were made from imposter accounts of Neeraj Chopra. There are no reports of Neeraj Chopra making a statement about farmers suffering due to government’s atrocities or about urging people to not give credit to Modi for his gold medal. Had he made such statements, it would have been covered by the media or be seen in his official twitter handle. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Tweet 1:
When we searched on Twitter about the Twitter handle ‘@neeraj_chopra_’, we found that the account is suspended. Therefore, the Twitter account of the user who shared the first tweet about the suffering of farmers due to atrocities by the government is suspended.
The archived version of the Twitter profile which had supposedly made the first tweet can be seen here. The official Twitter handle of Neeraj Chopra is ‘@Neeraj_chopra1’. On comparing the official Twitter handle of Neeraj Chopra with the one that shared the supposed tweet, we found several discrepancies. The official account is a verified handle with over four lakh followers, as opposed to the other account having around 24,000 followers with no verified tick. Neeraj Chopra was born in Haryana, as opposed to New Delhi what the other account states.
Therefore, the tweet about the suffering of farmers due to atrocities by the government is made from an imposter account of Neeraj Chopra. We could not find any tweet or statement by Neeraj Chopra in which he talked about the suffering of farmers due to atrocities by the government. Had he given such a statement, it would have been covered by the media or be seen in his official Twitter handle.
Tweet 2:
When we searched on Twitter about the Twitter handle ‘@i_m_nirajchopra’, we found that the account does not exist anymore. Therefore, the Twitter account of the user who shared the second tweet about urging people to not give credit to Modi for his gold medal win does not exist anymore.
The archived version of the Twitter profile which had supposedly made the second tweet can be seen here. The official Twitter handle of Neeraj Chopra is ‘@Neeraj_chopra1’. On comparing the official Twitter handle of Neeraj Chopra with the one that shared the supposed tweet, we found discrepancies. The official account is a verified handle with over four lakh followers, as opposed to the other account having around 2,000 followers with no verified tick.
Therefore, the tweet about urging people to not give credit to Modi for his gold medal victory is made from an imposter account of Neeraj Chopra. We could not find any tweet or statement by Neeraj Chopra in which he talked about urging people to not give credit to Modi for his gold medal victory. Had he given such a statement, it would have been covered by the media or be seen in his official Twitter handle.
Neeraj Chopra won the Gold Medal in Javelin throw on 07 August 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics. It is India’s first-ever track and field medal in the Olympic games. Neeraj Chopra comes from the small village of Khandra in Panipat District, Haryana. Neeraj Chopra’s father Satish Chopra has a farming background but there are no news reports of Neeraj Chopra making a statement about farmer’s suffering due to the government’s atrocities. There are no news reports about Neeraj Chopra urging people to not give credit to Modi for his gold medal win either.
To sum it up, tweets on the suffering of farmers, and on PM Modi, were made from imposter accounts of Neeraj Chopra.


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These videos do not show fireworks from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 28, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a fireworks display on a high-rise building is being shared with a claim that the video shows visuals of the Tokyo Olympics inaugural ceremony. Another video (here) of fireworks is also being shared attributing it to the Tokyo Olympics. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Videos showing visuals of fireworks at Tokyo Olympics inaugural ceremony.
Fact: These videos have nothing to do with the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. While the first video shows fireworks organised on New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2020 in Taiwan, the other video actually shows a simulated version of fireworks but not real fireworks. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Video 1:
The video actually shows fireworks organized in Taiwan on New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2020. A reverse image search of the screenshots of the video in the post yielded few news reports which reported similar visuals. As per one such news video, these visuals show display of fireworks organized on the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan.
Upon comparison of the screenshots of the news video of New year fireworks in Taiwan with those from the viral video, we can spot many similarities, which confirms that the viral video indeed shows new year celebrations on 31 December 2020 in Taiwan.
Another news video that reported the fireworks at Taipei 101 building on New Year’s Eve but from another angle can be seen here. Even this video shows visuals similar to the one in the post. Further, the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was held at ‘Tokyo’s new Olympic stadium’, whereas, in the viral video, we can see fireworks being organized on a skyscraper. Few visuals of the fireworks display during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics inaugural ceremony can be seen here. These visuals are completely different from those in the viral video. Hence, all these suggest that the viral video has nothing to do with Tokyo Olympics.
Video 2:
The video actually shows a simulated version of fireworks, not real fireworks. The video is available on the internet at least since 2015, which proves that the video has nothing to do with Tokyo Olympics. FACTLY has debunked the same video that went viral back in 2020 with a claim attributing it to Tokyo Olympics.
To sum it up, these videos do not show fireworks from the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony.


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These videos of Akshay Kumar supporting Palestine are doctored - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 27, 2023
Update (27 October 2023):
Another video clip of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is being shared on social media claiming it as his recent remarks expressing his support for Palestine. Amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the post claims that Akshay Kumar had recently posted this video making a statement, “What is happening with Palestine was not correct. it is wrong.” Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video showing similar visuals was found posted by Akshay Kumar on his Instagram handle on 03 October 2020. In the original video, Akshay Kumar spoke about actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and about the Bollywood drug row that came to light after Sushant’s death. The original video shows Akshay Kumar stating- “I implore you with folded hands, do not look at the entire industry in the same tainted light. That is not correct.” The video was edited by cropping, adding text, and replacing the original audio with some dubbed voice. A few other news reports that published Akshay Kumar’s comments on the Bollywood drug row in 2020 can be seen here and here.
Published (18 April 2023):
A few videos (here, here, here) of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar speaking in support of Palestine are doing rounds on social media. In one of these videos, Akshay Kumar can be seen thanking Pakistan and urging all the Muslims of the world to support Palestine. Let’s verify these videos through this article.
Claim: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar supported Palestine through multiple video messages.
Fact: The videos in which Akshay Kumar seems to support Palestine are all edited ones. They have been doctored by replacing the audio of his original videos with audio of a dubbed voice. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
Video 1:
We performed a reverse image search on a few of the video’s keyframes in Google; it led us to a news article published by The Hans India in June 2022.
During the release of the film Jugg Jugg Jeeyo, Akshay Kumar posted an Instagram video sending his best wishes to the film’s team. This video has been edited by adding a filter and additional text, and the original voice of Akshaya Kumar has been replaced by a dubbed voice that sounds like him. You can see the comparison between both videos down below.
Video 2:
We performed a reverse image search on Google using a few keyframes of this video. This search led us to a few articles (here and here) from 2020, which contained video screenshots. Reportedly, Akshay Kumar posted a video message on his Instagram about the issue of drugs in Bollywood. This video was edited by cropping, adding text and replacing the original audio with some dubbed voice. The difference between the original and the doctored video can be seen below.
Video 3:
Similar to the previous two videos, we also performed a reverse image search on a few keyframes of this video. In the results, we found the unedited version of this video on Twitter uploaded by ‘Puneri Akkians.’ According to its description, Akshay Kumar teamed up with Mumbai Police to promote traffic safety among the public. The original video is available on the official Twitter handle of Mumbai Traffic Police which was uploaded in January  2023. This video contains two logos on the top, and Akshay Kumar can be seen giving five-pointers to the public regarding road safety. This video has been edited to create a viral video, making it look like he is supporting Palestine. Apart from this, in all the above videos, you can clearly see that the audio is out of sync with the action/his lip movements while Akshay Kumar was speaking.
To sum up, these videos of Akshay Kumar showing his support for Palestine are doctored.

created: October 27, 2023


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These videos of celebrities promoting gaming/betting apps are deep fakes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 8, 2024
With the increase in advancements in Artificial Intelligence-related technologies like voice cloning and Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), videos of celebrities endorsing online gaming and betting apps have inundated social media platforms, sparking concerns about their credibility. This article aims to authenticate such claims.
Video 1- Akshay Kumar promoting ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ App:
A video of Indian actor Akshay Kumar promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms. Let’s verify the authenticity of the video.
An internet search using relevant keywords led us to several media reports (here, here, and here) stating that Akshay Kumar’s team has denied his endorsement of such an application and is taking legal action against the misuse of the actor’s identity for false advertisement.
Furthermore, upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral video, we discovered a video with matching visuals uploaded on Akshay Kumar’s official Instagram account on 09 August 2023. In this video, he can be seen promoting his film OMG 2. However, this video was manipulated to create a deep fake video by altering the audio and lip movement to make it appear as if he was endorsing a gaming application.
A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar)
Moreover, we subjected the viral video to deep fake video detectors, and they identified it as potentially being a deep fake.
Video 2- Virat Kohli promoting ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ App:
A video of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms. Let’s verify the authenticity of the video.
First, we conducted an online search to determine if Virat Kohli has ever endorsed such a gaming application. We found no reports or mentions of him endorsing such an application on his social media platforms.
Further, we performed a reverse image search of the viral video, which led us to the original video uploaded on the YouTube channel of ‘Graham Bensinger’ on 22 December 2023. In this video, Kohli discusses his personal life and cricket, with no promotion of any gaming application. AI technologies like voice cloning could have been used to alter Kohli’s voice and lip movements to create the false impression of a gaming app promotion.
Earlier, we have also debunked a similar deep fake video of Sachin Tendulkar promoting an online gaming app.
To sum it up, these videos featuring celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar endorsing gaming/betting apps are deep fakes.

created: February 8, 2024


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These videos of prominent journalists promoting medicines for Diabetes/Obesity are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2024
Update (14 March 2024):
Another video (archive) featuring prominent personalities such as Mithun Chakraborty, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshay Kumar, Yogi Adityanath, Hema Malini, and Atul Gawande allegedly promoting a diabetes medicine is currently circulating widely online. Let’s verify the authenticity of the post.
A reverse image search of the viral video has led us to the original videos from which each clip used in the viral video was sourced. Details can be seen below:
Mithun Chakraborty:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of NDTV on 08 March 2021. In this video, he can be seen discussing his decision to join the BJP. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Shahrukh Khan:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of The Economic Times on 15 February 2024. In this video, Khan can be seen speaking at the World Government Summit about films and his career. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Aishwarya Rai:
The original video was uploaded to Hotstar in 2019, featuring an interview with Anupama Chopra. In this video, she can be seen discussing her career and upcoming films. She has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Akshay Kumar:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of Aaj Tak on 25 February 2023. In this video, he can be seen discussing his life, films, family, etc. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Yogi Adityanath:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of ABP News on 26 February 2022. In this video, he can be seen discussing the 2022 UP elections. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Hema Malini:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of BBC News Hindi on 11th April 2019. In this video, she can be seen discussing the 2019 General elections. She has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Atul Gawande:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of BBC Radio 4 on 1st December 2014. In this video, he can be seen discussing his book ‘The Future of Medicine’. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Apparently, the audio in the above videos has been manipulated using AI audio cloning software to create the false impression that they are endorsing a diabetes medicine.
Update (13 March 2024):
Another video (archive) of the Uttar Pradesh CM, Yogi Adityanath, allegedly promoting medicine for the treatment of Diabetes has surfaced on social media. In the viral video, which looks like a clip from an interview with news channel Aaj Tak, he can be seen saying that this medicine can be purchased on a website whose link is shared along with the video. Let’s verify the authenticity of the video.
The reverse image search of the viral video took us to the original footage, which matches the visuals of the viral content. This video was uploaded to Aaj Tak’s YouTube channel on 07 August 2021. After investigating, we found that Yogi Adityanath wasn’t promoting any diabetes medicine in the video. Instead, he discussed political matters like COVID-19 and the 2022 UP Assembly elections. Furthermore, upon noticing the discrepancy in lip-sync, it’s evident that the voice ascribed to him was generated using AI voice cloning software and subsequently incorporated into the viral video.
Moreover, according to media reports, an FIR was lodged at the cyber police station against a Facebook profile ‘Grace Garsia’ for posting this video.
Update (12 February 2024):
A video of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, allegedly promoting a medicine for the treatment of Diabetes has surfaced on social media. In the viral video, which looks like a clip from an interview with news channel Aaj Tak, he can be seen saying that this medicine can be purchased on a website with a link along with the video.
However, Yogi Adityanath has not promoted this medicine. The viral clip is part of an interview with Aaj Tak news channel on the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Nowhere in this interview, he spoke about the alleged medicine for diabetes which is seen in the viral clip. This means that the viral clip was made by clipping it from this interview, removing his original audio, and dubbing it in a way that makes it seem as if he was promoting a medicine for diabetes.
Update (04 January 2024):
A recent video featuring Rajeev Dhoundiyal, a journalist from Aaj Tak, endorsing weight loss capsules, is gaining popularity on various social media platforms.
However, we could not find any report of the Aaj Tak reporter endorsing weight loss products. It is highly probable that the video, along with previous ones, has been digitally manipulated. The URL embedded in the viral post directs to a website whose domain was registered in Moscow in October 2023 and is scheduled to expire in a year.
Published (01 December 2023):
Multiple videos are being shared on social media claiming they show visuals of prominent journalists promoting different medicines for Diabetes disease. Those videos can be seen here, here, here, here, and here. The news anchors in the video say that the medicine can stabilize blood sugar levels in ten minutes. These posts provided a link below and asked users to go through the website and purchase the medicine for diabetes. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Videos of journalists promoting medicines for diabetes.
Fact: All the videos shared through these posts are fake. These journalists  never promoted such diabetes medicines on their respective news channels. The links provided in the posts direct to the articles published by fake sites. There is no such medicine approved by the FDA that could cure diabetes in ten minutes. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched for the video of Arnab Goswami using relevant keywords, we found the same video on the Republic World website on 16 November 2023. The original video shows Arnab Goswami’s debate on China and Pakistan’s relationships. Arnab Goswami did not promote any diabetes medicine in this video.
The URL provided below the post directs to a website named ‘sparsim.info’. According to the ‘Whois’ website, the domain ‘sparsim.Info’ was registered in May 2023, and the registrant’s name is not specified. This dubious site published fake articles on diabetes medicines with the name of ‘Aaj Tak’ news site.
The other videos shared in the post are also fake. These journalists never promoted any such diabetes tablets as mentioned in these posts. The links provided below these posts are not working. A few users have made posts clarifying that these dubious posts promoting diabetes products with the video clippings of news journalists as fake.
Diabetes & Cure
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose, commonly referred to as blood sugar. This occurs when the body either cannot produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and allows cells to absorb and use glucose for energy. More details about Diabetes can be seen here.
In a publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is emphasized that individuals with diabetes should engage in weight loss, follow a nutritious diet, maintain physical activity, and incorporate medication into their treatment. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and India’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) state on their respective websites that early diagnosis of diabetes, coupled with the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, can help individuals with diabetes mitigate the severe consequences associated with the condition. However, there is no such medicine approved by the FDA or any other body that could treat Diabetes in ten minutes.
To sum it up, these videos of journalists promoting medicines for diabetes disease are fake.


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These viral claims about five Hindus raping a dead body in the Sikar district of Rajasthan are not true - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 2, 2023
Referring to an article published by the ‘Asianet News Hindi’, a post is being shared on social media claiming that five miscreants were caught raping a half-burnt dead body of a woman in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. Ashok Swain, a Professor at Uppsala University, shared the same article of ‘Asianet News Hindi’ and tweeted, “While Indian media spreading fake news about the locked grave in Pakistan to keep rapists away, in Sikar, India, five Hindus have been caught for raping the dead body of a woman by taking it out of a burning pyre.” Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: 5 Hindus were caught raping a half-burnt dead body in the Sikar district of Rajasthan.
Fact: Sikar Police through a tweet clarified that the news reported by the ‘Asianet News Hindi’ is false. As per the police officials, three days after the cremation of a woman, an outsider, who came to meet his acquaintance, was beaten up by the villagers on suspicion of performing tantric rituals with the corpse. Sikar Police in the tweet emphasized that no such heinous activity as rape was detected in the incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
‘Asianet News Hindi’ deleted their article reporting about five miscreants raping a half-burnt dead body in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. When we searched for the details of the claim made in the post using relevant keywords, we found an article published by ‘Patrika’ related to the same incident on 19 April 2023. The article reported that police had arrested five persons from the crematorium ground in the Ajitgarh area after the villagers thrashed all five on suspicion of performing tantric rituals with the burnt corpse of a woman.
According to the article, relatives of the cremated woman thrashed five people by alleging that they were performing tantric rituals with their family member’s body. ‘News 18’ also published an article related to this incident.
In another article published by ‘Patrika’ on 20 April 2023, it was reported that Shankar Lal, one of the five arrested persons, had informed police that the incident took place while they were returning from Kohri village to show his farmland in Ajitgarh area to his guru. Shankar Lal reportedly told police that they came under the suspicion of villagers while they were passing nearby the crematorium on the path of their farmland. As per the report, both parties reached a compromise and neither of them filed an FIR related to the incident.
When the article reported by the ‘Asianet News Hindi’ was shared on social media claiming rape on the cremated woman, the Sikar police officials published a tweet clarifying that the article published by the ‘Asianet News Hindi’ is false and misleading. As per the police officials, three days after the cremation of the woman, an outsider, who came to meet his acquaintance, was beaten up in suspicion by the villagers. Sikar police officials in the tweet emphasized that no such heinous activity as rape was detected in the incident.
@AsianetNewsHN 🚫उक्त घटना मिथ्या एव भ्रामक है
शव को दाह संस्कार के 3 दिन बाद बाहर से आए व्यक्ति अपने परिचित से मिलने इलाके में आए जिस से ग्रामीणों ने संदिग्ध समझकर मारपीट की गई  जिसपर थाना अजीतगढ़ द्वारा मौके पर पहुंच विधिक कार्यवाही की गई दुष्कर्म जैसी घटना नही होना पाई गई । pic.twitter.com/sRjxsMH38j
Lately, when an image of a locked tomb in Hyderabad was shared as the picture from Pakistan by claiming that parents in Pakistan were locking the graves of their daughters in fear of rape, Factly published a fact-check article about this claim. In the wake of many Indian news sites falsely attributing this image to Pakistan, many users shared screenshots of the ‘Asianet News Hindi’ article alleging the rape of a cremated woman in Rajasthan.
To sum it up, the viral claims about five Hindus raping a half-burnt woman in the Sikar district of Rajasthan are not true.


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These viral images depicting Dharmendra Pradhan painting a conch and Naveen Patnaik painting a lotus are morphed images. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2024
A set of images (here & here) is widely circulating on social media platforms with the claim that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan painted the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party symbol, the conch, and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has painted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party symbol, the lotus. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dharmendra Pradhan painted the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party symbol, the conch, and Naveen Patnaik painted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party symbol, the lotus.
Fact: These viral images depicting Dharmendra Pradhan painting a conch and Naveen Patnaik painting a lotus are morphed images. The original image was shared by Dharmendra Pradhan on his Twitter account on 28 January 2024, where he was painting a ‘lotus’ as part of a wall painting drive launched by BJP on 15 January 2024. The other original image of Naveen Patnaik was reported by Sambad English, where he was painting water waves on a wall in a street art activity organized by the Bakul Foundation on the occasion of World Water Day in 2013. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To check the veracity of viral claims, we conducted a Google reverse image search of the image depicting Dharmendra Pradhan painting a conch on the internet, which led us to a few pictures (here & here) showing Dharmendra Pradhan painting ‘lotus’ on walls at various locations in Odisha. On 15 January 2024, the BJP launched a wall-painting drive in Kandhal village, Deogarh, Odisha on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti to boost people’s confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership ahead of the general elections, Pradhan told the media persons. He shared a few images on his X(Twitter) wall on 28 January 2024, that read: “Dharmendra Pradhan Participated in BJP’s ‘Kanth Likhan’ program in North Bhubaneswar Constituency Booth No. 59 Housing Board Colony. Padma, the symbol of our party BJP and Modi, has become a symbol of hope, progress, and welfare of all sections.”
ଉତ୍ତର ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର ନିର୍ବାଚନମଣ୍ଡଳୀ ବୁଥ ନମ୍ବର ୫୯ ହାଉସିଂ ବୋର୍ଡ କଲୋନୀରେ ବିଜେପିର ‘କାନ୍ଥ ଲିଖନ’ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକ୍ରମରେ ସାମିଲ ହେଲି । ଆମ ଦଳ ବିଜେପି ଓ ମୋଦିଙ୍କ ଚିହ୍ନ ପଦ୍ମ ଆଜି ସବୁ ବର୍ଗଙ୍କ ଆଶା, ପ୍ରଗତି ଓ ଜନକଲ୍ୟାଣର ପ୍ରତୀକ ହୋଇଛି । ପ୍ରଧାନମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ @narendramodi ଙ୍କ ନେତୃତ୍ୱ ଓ ମୋଦିଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ଓଡ଼ିଶାବାସୀଙ୍କ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ… pic.twitter.com/1lzZR8t3AT
Subsequently, we also performed a reverse image search of the image depicting Naveen Patnaik painting a lotus on the internet. This search led us to the original image reported by Sambad English. According to this report, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was observed doodling on a wall as part of a street art activity organized by the Bakul Foundation on the occasion of World Water Day in 2013.
Upon comparing the viral images with the original ones, it is evident that the original pictures have been edited and morphed to create these viral images. Below is a comparison of the viral images with the original images.
To sum it up, these viral images depicting Dharmendra Pradhan painting a conch and Naveen Patnaik painting a lotus are morphed images.

created: February 15, 2024