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Photo of a murdered woman with a trident tattoo on her forearm is shared with a false communal angle - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 6, 2023
A photo depicting a person’s forearm adorned with a tattoo of the Om symbol and a trident is being shared, asserting a case of love jihad. Sharing the image, a social media post claims that a dead body of a Hindu girl has been found in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dead body of a Hindu woman, who is believed to have succumbed to the influence of love jihad, was discovered in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai.
Fact: The image depicts a deceased woman named Anjali Mintu Singh, murdered by her husband Mintu Singh and brother-in-law Chun Chun Singh, suspecting her of having an illicit relationship. As both the victim and accused are Hindus, there is no Love Jihad angle associated to the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral image does show a Hindu woman who has been killed. However, there is no love jihad angle associated with the incident, as claimed in the viral post.
Reverse image search of the viral photo yielded news articles that reported the same image. One such news report dated 02 June 2023, stated that the headless body of a woman was found in a travel bag of an Alfa company on the beach in Uttan area west of Bhayandar in Maharashtra. Upon receiving the information, the police started an investigation, the article reported.
Another news article dated 04 June 2023, reported that a police investigation revealed that the woman was murdered by her husband Mintu Singh, and brother-in-law Chun Chun Singh.
Several news agencies have reported the incident. A news report, that identified the deceased as Anjali Mintu Singh, reported that the husband of the deceased woman committed the gory crime suspecting her of having an illicit relationship. Both the accused were booked under sections 302 and 201 of the IPC at the Uttan coastal police station.
Hence, these details establish that there is no love jihad angle to the incident, as both the victim and accused are Hindus.
To sum it up, the photo of a murdered woman with a trident tattoo on her forearm is shared with a false communal angle.


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నెతన్యాహు ప్రతిపాదించిన న్యాయ సంస్కరణలను వ్యతిరేకిస్తూ, 2023 ప్రారంభంలో ఇజ్రాయెల్ ప్రజలు చేసిన నిరసన ఫోటోను ఇప్పుడు షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 17, 2023
ఇజ్రాయెల్ పాలస్తీనా మధ్య ఇటీవల జరుగుతున్న ఘర్షణలను ఉద్దేశిస్తూ, ఇజ్రాయెల్లో ఆ దేశ ప్రధాని బెంజమిన్ నెతన్యాహుకు వ్యతిరేకంగా ప్రజలు భారీ నిరసనలు జరుపుతున్నారనీ,  అతన్ని నరహంతకుడు అని పిలిచారంటూ ఒక పోస్టును సోషల్ మీడియాలో షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. దీని వెనుక ఎంత వాస్తవముందో ఈ కధనం ద్వారా తెలుసుకుందాం.
క్లెయిమ్: ఇజ్రాయెల్లో ప్రధాని నెతన్యాహుకి వ్యతిరేకంగా ప్రజలు భారీ నిరసనలు తెలుపుతున్నారు
ఫాక్ట్(నిజం): ఇది 2023 ప్రారంభంలో, ఇజ్రాయెల్ ప్రధాని బెంజమిన్ నెతన్యాహు ప్రభుత్వం ప్రతిపాదించిన న్యాయ సంస్కరణలను వ్యతిరేకిస్తూ, ప్రజలు చేసిన నిరసన యొక్క ఫోటో ఇది. ఇజ్రాయెల్ పాలస్తీనా మధ్య జరుగుతున్న ఘర్షణల సందర్భంలో చేసిన నిరసన కాదు.  కావున, ఈ పోస్టులో చేసిన క్లెయిమ్ తప్పుదోవ పట్టించే విధంగా ఉంది.
ఈ ఫోటోను రివర్స్ ఇమేజ్ సెర్చ్ ద్వారా వెతకగా,  X పోస్ట్లు (ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ) మరియు వార్త  పత్రికల్లో (ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ) ఈ దృశ్యం గురించి వివరించడం గమనించాం. ఇది 2023 ప్రారంభంలో, ఇజ్రాయెల్ ప్రధాని బెంజమిన్ నెతన్యాహు ప్రభుత్వం ప్రతిపాదించిన న్యాయ సంస్కరణలను వ్యతిరేకిస్తూ, ప్రజలు చేసిన నిరసన యొక్క ఫోటో.
జనవరి 2023లో నెతన్యాహు ప్రభుత్వం ఇజ్రాయెల్లో న్యాయ సంస్కరణలు ప్రతిపాదించింది. పబ్లిక్ పాలసీపై, న్యాయవ్యవస్థపై సుప్రీం కోర్టు  ప్రభావాన్ని అరికట్టడం, సుప్రీం కోర్టు న్యాయ సమీక్షను అమలు చేసే అధికారాన్ని పరిమితం చేయటం, న్యాయ వ్యవస్థ నియామకాలపై ప్రభుత్వ నియంత్రణను మంజూరు చేయడం,  లీగల్ అడ్వైసర్ల అధికారాన్ని పరిమితం చేయడం ఈ సంస్కరణల యొక్క ముఖ్య ఉద్దేశం అని, ఈ సంస్కరణలు ఇజ్రాయెల్ ప్రజాస్వామ్య పునాదులను దెబ్బతీస్తాయి అని ఇజ్రాయెల్ ప్రజలు భావిస్తూ తమ నిరసన వ్యక్తం చేశారు. దీని గురించి వివరాలను ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ చూడవచ్చు.
చివరిగా, నెతన్యాహు ప్రతిపాదించిన న్యాయ సంస్కరణలను వ్యతిరేకిస్తూ, 2023 ప్రారంభంలో ఇజ్రాయెల్  ప్రజలు చేసిన నిరసన యొక్క ఫోటోను ఇప్పుడు షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు.

source: news-factly

created: October 17, 2023

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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A photo of a re-creation shared as the original painting of Raja Ravi Varma - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2021
A couple of photos are being shared on the internet with a claim that they show the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma (on the left) and Leonardo da Vinci (on the right). The author of the post complains that most of the people might have never seen Raja Ravi Varma’s painting but must have seen Leonardo da Vinci’s painting multiple times because of the marketing and propaganda lobbies. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Raja Ravi Varma’s painting.
Fact: The posted image is not a painting. It is a photograph taken as part of the re-creation of Raja Ravi Varma’s painting – ‘Radha in the Moonlight’. The woman in the photo is an actress. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the left image was cropped and run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same image was found to be posted on an Instagram page. In the description, it is written – “Raja Ravi Varma recreation series with @swati194 😍 | wonderful captures by the team @sruvamstudios”. Also, on the posted photo, it can be noticed that the name of ‘Sruvam Studios’ is written. So, when we searched for the photo on the Instagram profile of ‘Sruvam Studios’, the photo was found to be uploaded by them on 16 June 2019. Other similar photos and a making video can be seen on their profile.
The woman in the photo is Swathi; she is a well-known actress who has acted in several South Indian films. The same photo has been also uploaded on her official page. The original painting (‘Radha in the Moonlight’) can be seen here.
The details regarding Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting can be read here.
To sum it up, a photo of a re-creation is shared as the original painting of Raja Ravi Varma.


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A photo of an injured Syrian boy falsely shared as ‘Delhi violence victim’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 2, 2020
An image of an injured boy is being shared widely on social media with a claim that he was injured in Delhi violence. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Image of a boy injured in Delhi violence.
Fact: The photo was taken in Syria in February 2018. It is not related to the recent Delhi violence. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image was searched using Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found on the ‘Getty Images’ website. On that website, the photo has the following description: ‘A wounded Syrian boy covered in blood waits to receive treatment at a make-shift hospital in Kafr Batna in the besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus following Syrian government bombardments on February 21, 2018’. So, the boy was not injured in Delhi and the photo is not related to Delhi violence.
To sum it up, the boy is not from Delhi and the photo is not related to Delhi violence. The photo is of an injured Syrian boy.
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A Photo of Gehana Vasisth's wedding is falsely shared as Bageshwar Dham Dhirendra Shastri's sister - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 28, 2023
A photo of a couple in traditional attire is viral on social media, claiming that the woman seen in it is Bageshwar Dham Dhirendra Shastri’s sister ‘Vandana Tiwari’. A post that shares this photo claims that she is marrying a Muslim man without the knowledge of her brother. Let’s verify the truth behind these claims through this fact-checking article.
Claim: Vandana Tiwari, Sister of Bageshwar Dham Dhirendra Shastri, is marrying a Muslim man.
Fact: The woman seen in this photo is Actress Gehana Vasisth, whose original name is Vandana Tiwari. Dhirendra Shastri’s sister married a Hindu named Kamlesh Chauraha in 2015. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more about the viral photo, we performed a reverse image search on Google, leading us to various news reports (here, here, and here) containing the same image. According to these reports, the couple featured in this photo is actress Gehana Vasisth and her husband, Faizan Ansari, who got married in January this year. Gehana Vasisth’s original name is reportedly Vandana Tiwari.
According to BBC, Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Shastri has a sister named Rita Garg, and she is already married.
Regarding this issue, Bageshwar Dham’s PRO, Kamal Awasthi, told Aaj Tak that she married a Hindu man called Kamlesh Chauraha in 2015. All of this makes it evident that the viral photo is being misquoted as a picture of Dhirendra Shastri’s sister and her Muslim husband while it actually features Actress Gehana Vasisth and her husband.
To sum up, the photo of Gehna Vasisth is falsely shared as Bageshwar Dham Dhirendra Shastri’s sister.


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A photo of Nepal's Tik Tok stars falsely shared as a photo of Finland's ministers - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 28, 2023
A photo of four women is being shared through a social media post with a claim it features four female Ministers of Finland’s newly formed government. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This photo shows four female ministers of the recently formed government of Finland.
Fact: The women in this photo are two Nepali twin sisters who are famous on Tik Tok. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly, we searched the internet for the photo of Female ministers of the Finland government, which led us to a few news articles (here and here) from 2019 when the last government of Finland was elected (Parliamentary Elections were conducted in 2023, and a new government was formed with Petteri Orpo as the New PM ). These articles contained a photo of the previous PM Sanna Marin with three female ministers of her cabinet, which can be seen below. The names of these ministers match the ones mentioned in the viral photo, but the people are different.
Furthermore, we performed a reverse image search on Google to learn more details about the vial photo. This search revealed that the women in the Viral image are tik tok stars of Nepal (here). They are two pairs of twins named Deepa and Damanta and  Princy and Prisma.
The same photo of theirs went viral in 2019, claiming it as a picture of ministers of Finland. This claim was refuted by the ambassador of Finland Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, who tweeted the photo of the real ministers of Finland.
Travelling in #India, I have been told this photo is making big rounds in the social media right now, allegedly representing the four young party leaders and ministers of #Finland. 😉 Forwarding the correct picture of our five party chairs for anyone’s reference. #factcheck https://t.co/Fi6WCV7AuB pic.twitter.com/i23Vg9d7HW
To sum up, a photo of Nepal’s Tik Tok stars falsely shared a photo of Finland’s ministers.


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A photo of Rahul Gandhi with the children of a Congress leader is circulated alongside a false claim of a secret marriage - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 6, 2024
An image featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi standing alongside a woman and three children is circulating with a claim suggesting that Rahul Gandhi married the woman in the photo and that they are their children. This article aims to fact-check the claim associated with the photo.
Claim: Photograph depicting Rahul Gandhi with his wife and three children.
Fact: The individuals accompanying Rahul Gandhi are the children of Priyanka Nandwana, who serves as the President of Mahila Congress in Baran District of Rajasthan. Upon learning of her desire to meet him, he took them on a helicopter ride during his Bharat Jodo yatra in 2022. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
It is true that Rahul Gandhi accompanied the girl from the viral photo on a helicopter ride. However, they are not related to him. Conducting a reverse image search on the viral photo resulted in various news reports showcasing the identical image.
According to an independent YouTube news report showcasing the same image, it was stated that the children accompanying Rahul Gandhi are the offsprings of Priyanka Nandwana, the President of Mahila Congress in Baran District of Rajasthan.
Additionally, according to the report, while Rahul Gandhi was en route from Nainani Farm in Bundi to Sawai Madhopur to celebrate his mother Sonia’s birthday, he learned of Kamakshi Nandwana’s desire to meet him. Upon learning this, Rahul Gandhi met all four children of the Nandwana family. As Kamakshi was celebrating her 14th birthday, Rahul Gandhi fulfilled her wish by meeting her and even took them on a helicopter ride.
Another report displaying the same image reaffirmed the details mentioned earlier regarding the photograph. Consequently, these reports indicate that the individuals depicted in the viral photo alongside Rahul Gandhi are not related to him as alleged, but rather are children of a member of the Congress party’s Rajasthan unit. A video report featuring the girl in the red t-shirt, who appears in the viral photo speaking to the media, can be viewed here.
According to reports, Rahul Gandhi even took three girls from Madhya Pradesh on a 20-minute helicopter ride during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Gudli, Madhya Pradesh. He fulfilled a promise he had made to the three girls during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ujjain by doing so.
To sum it up,  a photo of Rahul Gandhi with the children of a Congress leader is circulated alongside a false claim of a secret marriage.

created: February 6, 2024


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A photo of Shah Jahan Begum, the third Begum of Bhopal, is falsely shared as Mumtaz, Shah Jahan's wife. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2024
A black and white photograph of a woman adorned in regal attire is making rounds on social media, with claims that it portrays Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: The photo is of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Fact: The woman in the photograph is actually Shah Jahan Begum, the third Begum of Bhopal. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we first conducted a reverse image search on the circulating photograph. This search led us to the Royal Collection Trust’s website, where the same photo is listed.
The photograph’s caption on the site identifies the woman as ‘Sultan Shah Jahan Begum’, a Begum of Bhopal. The photo was reportedly shot during the visit of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (Queen Victoria’s eldest son), to 21 cities across present-day India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The same photo can also be found in an article titled “Begums of Bhopal: 107 Years of Golden Reign” on the Indian Government’s official portal, “indianculture.gov.in.” According to the article, Bhopal was ruled by four women between 1819 and 1926, with Shah Jahan Begum as the third ruler who lived from 1838 to 1901.
On the other hand, Mumtaz Mahal—famously known for inspiring the construction of the Taj Mahal—was the wife of Shah Jahan, the emperor of Mughal India. She lived from 1593 to 1631, a timeline that does not match that of Shah Jahan Begum, the woman portrayed in the photograph.
To sum up, the viral photo inaccurately presents Shah Jahan Begum, the third Begum of Bhopal, as Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Shah Jahan.

created: February 26, 2024


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A photo of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite’s sculpture is being falsely shared as 2000-year-old Maa Saraswati’s sculpture. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 4, 2023
A video explaining the discovery of a 2000-year-old Maa Saraswati’s sculpture in pre-Islamic Saudi Arabia is being shared on social media. This video claims that the sculpture was found in the city of Tayma and is now kept in the British Museum. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: An idol of the Hindu Goddess Maa Saraswati was found in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Fact: This actually shows the sculpture of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite sitting on a goose or a swan. According to the British Museum’s official website, this sculpture, probably made in Cyprus, was produced somewhere between 3rd BC and 2nd BC. Hence the claim made in the post is Fasle.
To check the veracity of the claim that the sculpture is of Maa Saraswati, which was allegedly found in pre-Islamic Arabia, we performed a reverse image search on the photo of the sculpture from the viral clip. This search led us to a Facebook post from 2012, which identified the sculpture as Greek Goddess Aphrodite, dated 3rd century BC.
Taking this as a hint, we further searched the internet using relevant keywords, leading us to the British Museum website containing the same sculpture photo. The description of this sculpture on the  British Museum’s website identifies it as a “ Terracotta figurine of Aphrodite seated on a goose.”
Further, we also found a photograph(here and here) of a similar sculpture of the Aphrodite riding on a goose from around 470-450 BC, and searches regarding the existence of Vedic culture in the pre-Islamic era also did not lead us to any credible evidence to support it. All of this evidence makes it clear that the viral video claiming to show the discovery of a sculpture of Maa Sarawati in pre-Islamic Arabia is just a fake story woven around the Terracotta figurine of Greek Goddess Aphrodite.
To sum up, the sculpture claiming to be the one of Hindu Goddess Maa Saraswati is actually of a Greek Goddess named Aphrodite.

created: December 4, 2023


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A photo taken in 2017 falsely shared as PM Modi grandly dressed on his visit to a hospital recently. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2020
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Modi dressed grandly on his visit to a hospital recently despite the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. FACTLY has found that the photo is two years old. It was taken in 2017 in Sri Lanka when PM Modi inaugurated Dickoya Glengairan Hospital.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. Official Tweet – https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/862932754035494912
2. News Article – https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/prime-minister-narendra-modi-inaugurates-super-speciality-hospital-in-dickoya-in-sri-lanka-1692782
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A photo taken in Greece is falsely shared as the beautiful visual of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in UP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 18, 2022
A beautiful image of a road leading as if towards the moon is being shared on social media claiming it as the night view picture of the Agra-Lucknow Express highway in Uttar Pradesh. Sharing the photo, this post thanked the former Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party Government for inaugurating such projects for the development of Uttar Pradesh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the posts can be seen here.
Claim: The beautiful night view picture of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: This picture shared in the post was shot at Veria city in Greece. This photo was originally shared by Argiris Karamouzas in February 2019. This has nothing to do with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found to be posted on the ‘Architecture & Design’ Facebook page on 09 September 2019. This Facebook page mentioned that the photo was shot at Veria city in Greece. Also, this Facebook page credited the photo to Argiris Karamouzas.
Argiris Karamouzas, a medical representative by profession and a photographer by hobby, had first shared this photo on his Instagram handle on 20 February 2019. The description of the photo states, “When all roads lead to the moon. plain of Veria with endless views and unfortunately yesterday with a lot of pollution in the atmosphere”.
In December 2020, when his photo was published in a magazine, Argiris Karamouzaa thanked the magazine and the people for making his ‘Moon of Veria’ photo popular even after two years. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post shows the beautiful night view picture of a road in Veria, not the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
To sum it up, a photo taken in Greece was falsely shared as the beautiful visuals of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.

created: February 18, 2022


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A photoshopped image is being falsely shared as ‘Assam ABVP Protesting against CAA, NRC and NPR’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 2, 2020
A post with an image is being widely shared on Facebook with the claim that it shows Assam ‘Akhila Bharatiya Vidya Parishad’ (ABVP) men protesting against CAA, NRC, and NPR. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Image of ABVP men in Assam protesting against CAA and NRC by holding a flexi with the text ‘We don’t support NRC and CAA’.
Fact: The image in the post is a photoshopped one. In the original image, Ahmedabad ABVP men are holding the flexi with the text ‘We support CAA’. So, the ABVP men in the image were actually holding a pro-CAA flexi. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When the image in the post is subjected to Google reverse image search technique, a link of ‘Ahmedabad Mirror’ was obtained in the search results. The article had a similar image but the ABVP men in that image were holding a banner with the text- ‘We support CAA’. From the article, it was found that ABVP members of Ahmedabad have gathered at Sabarmati Ashram to support Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). So, the claim made in the post is false.
To conclude, a photoshopped image is being falsely shared as ‘Assam ABVP Protesting against CAA, NRC and NPR’.
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created: January 2, 2020


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A Photoshopped image is being shared as 'Goliath’s skull exhumed at Mount Elah' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 29, 2019
A Facebook post has a screenshot that has two photos, one purportedly showing two men exhuming a skull and the other a news clip with the title “Goliath’s skull found in Holy land”. The claim in the screenshot is that the head of Goliath, a character in the Bible, was exhumed at the feet of Mount Elah as discovered by German Archaeologist Dr. Martin. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim.
Image of Goliath’s skull exhumed at the feet of Mount Elah as discovered by German Archaeologist Dr. Martin.
Fact: The image of ‘two men exhuming a skull’ is an entry of a photoshop contest seeking hoax archaeological discovery. The image is not related to any true event. And, the news clip in the screenshot is that of ‘Weekly World News’, a tabloid ill-reputed for publishing sensational and fake news. So, the claim is FALSE.
The screenshot had a news clip of ‘Weekly World News’. So when searched for that article, it was found and known to have been published in June-1993. In the article, it was written that a leading Archaeologist Dr. Martin has claimed to have found Goliath’s skull in a valley west of Jerusalem. So, when looked for other news reports about it, a few other websites were found to have carried news regarding the same news clip of Weekly World News (WWN). But, there are no reports of any prominent newspapers regarding the exhuming of Goliath’s skull discovered by archaeologist Dr. Martin. When looked for the credibility of WWN, reports were found that the tabloid was known to be ill-reputed for publishing stories based on sensationalism and fake news. More information about the nature and credibility of the news that was published by WWN tabloid can be read here.
From an article of ‘Snopes’, it was found that the photograph of ‘two men exhuming a skull’ is actually an entry of a photoshop contest seeking hoax archaeological discovery. So, the image is not that of a true event.
To conclude, the image of an entry of a photoshop contest is being shared as Goliath’s skull exhumed at Mount Elah.
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created: November 29, 2019


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A photoshopped image is being shared as that of the World’s biggest ‘Anaconda’ snake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 25, 2019
An image is being shared widely on Facebook with the claim ‘World’s biggest snake Anaconda found in Africa’s Amazon river. It has killed 257 humans & 2325 animals. It’s 134 feet long & 2067 Kgs. Africa’s Royal British Commandos took 37 days to get it killed’. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The post was published on Facebook in July-2015 and it is being shared widely even now. Till date, the post has been shared over 1.4 million times.
Photo of the World’s biggest ‘Anaconda’ snake which is 134 feet long and 2067 Kgs weight.
Fact: As per the Guinness World Records, the longest snake ever in captivity is ‘Medusa’ and it is of length 25 feet 2 inches and weight 158.8 kgs. And, as per the National Geographic Channel, the ‘Green Anaconda’ is the largest snake in the world with length up to 30 feet and weighs up to 250 kgs. Also, the photo in the post is photoshopped. So, the claim is FALSE.
When searched on Google with keywords “World’s biggest snake”, many search results were obtained. An article of ‘The Dailymail’ published on 25 September 2016, quoted that a giant snake measuring 33 feet long and 400 kg weight was discovered on a building site in northern Brazil. But as per the ‘Guinness World Records’, the longest snake ever in captivity is ‘Medusa’ and it is of length 25 feet 2 inches and weight 158.8 kgs.
And as per the National Geographic Channel, the ‘Green Anaconda’ is the largest snake in the world with length up to 30 feet and weigh up to 250 kgs. But the dimensions of the anaconda given in the post are much higher than  any of these figures.
When the photo in the post was cropped and subjected to reverse image search technique, a similar photo of the Anaconda was obtained in the search results. The image of the Anaconda seen in the post is a mirror image of that photo and also the posture and pattern of the Anaconda are similar to it. The ‘Snopes’ article also mentions that the image has been manipulated to seem as if it is that of the world’s biggest Anaconda.
To conclude, a photoshopped image is being shared as that of the World’s biggest snake ‘Anaconda’.
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created: September 25, 2019


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A photoshopped image is being shared as the Golden Temple (Amritsar) on Diwali - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 28, 2019
A photo is being shared widely on social media with the claim that it was taken at Golden Temple (Amritsar) on Diwali. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Diwali photo taken at Golden Temple, Amritsar.
Fact: It is an edited photo. The photo has been manipulated to place lanterns in the sky. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo is cropped and ran through Yandex Reverse Image Search, the original photo can be found in an article – ‘The Golden Temple’ by Emily Polar, a travel photographer. In the original photo, it can be found that there are no sky lanterns. They have been placed using photo-editing software. The sky lanterns photo was found to be taken during the Thai festival of Loy Krathong.
On the photo posted on Facebook, it can be found that ‘@navkaranbrar’ is written at the bottom. So, when searched on Google, the Facebook and Twitter accounts of Navkaran Brar can be found. On his accounts, it can be found that he posted similar images and called them his ‘artworks’.
To sum it up, a photoshopped image is being shared as the Golden Temple (Amritsar) on Diwali.
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created: October 28, 2019


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A photoshopped image is being shared with the narrative of a Mother seeking help for the treatment of her son - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 27, 2019
A photo of a crying woman holding a photograph and an Aadhaar card of a boy is being shared with the claim that she is the mother of that boy and was urging for financial help for the treatment of her son. Lets try to analyze the claim made in the post
The image was posted on Facebook inSeptember-2018 but it is being shared even now. Till date, it has been sharedover 99,000 times.
Image of a Mother seeking help for the treatment of her son.
Fact: The image is a photoshopped one. Similar images with just changes in the photograph of the boy were found on social media. But, the earliest photo found on the internet was that of a mother seeking help regarding her son who went missing from their village. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
If you carefully at the image, one can easily identify that the image is photoshopped as the photo of the boy isn’t perfectly seen in the woman’s hand.
And when the image is subjected to reverse image search technique, no credible information was found regarding the image.
When the image is cropped and subjected to reverse image search technique, another similar image was found in a Facebook post  by a certain user – ‘Umesh Kumar’. The image in this Facebook post has the same woman but the photo of another boy that fits well in her hand. This Facebook post was found to be posted on April 1, 2017, and it can be seen below.
The English translation of the post reads- “The name of the woman is Sanju Devi  and she is a resident of Rajopura village of Sheikhpura district, the boy is her 8-year-old son Sagar Kumar who  supposedly went to school but was missing from their village since March 29, 2017. The boy’s mother has gone in search of him in the neighbourhood but couldn’t find him and was told by two villagers that they have seen the child going out of the village alone. The woman has filed the case with the Chewad Police regarding her missing son.”
Many other posts with the same photo and same message can be seen here, here, and here.
Though the story of the missing boy couldn’t be ascertained,  it can be concluded that the image in the post is an edited one. Also, during the search process, it was found that when a similar photo was circulated on social media with the same claim, fact-checking organisation ‘Fact Crescendo’ has written an article which can be seen here.
To conclude, a photoshopped image is being shared with the narrative of Mother seeking help for the treatment of her son.
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created: September 27, 2019


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A photoshopped image of Hoshang Shah Tomb pillars is being shown as 1212 pillars at the Rameshwaram temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 14, 2019
An image of pillars is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the image was taken at the Rameshwaram temple, where 1212 pillars meet in one dot. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Image of 1212 pillars meeting in one dot at the Rameshwaram temple.
Fact: The picture of 1212 pillars meeting in one dot at the Rameshwaram temple is a photoshopped image. Also, the pillars in the photo are very different from the pillars at the Rameshwaram temple (Arulmigu Ramanatha Swami Temple). Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When looked for the Rameshwaram temple with 1212 pillars on Google, the official website of Arulmigu Ramanatha Swami Temple (Rameshwaram) can be found in the search results. On the website, it can be read that the temple has 1212 pillars in its third corridor.
But the pillars in the temple are very different from the pillars in the posted picture. The pillars are more intricately carved and are placed on a raised platform.
Also, the posted picture looks photoshopped because the same crack can be seen on all the pillars on the left.
In an article published by SMHoaxSlayer in 2017, it was written that this picture is a modified version of Hoshang Shah Tomb pillars. When searched for the images of ‘Hoshang Shah Tomb’ on Google, similar pillar photos were found in the search results. There are only 81 pillars in Hoshang Shah Tomb. Lot of such images of Hoshang Shah tombs can be found on Getty Images also.
To sum it up, a photoshopped image of Hoshang Shah Tomb pillars is being shown as 1212 pillars at the Rameshwaram temple.
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A portrait of the Maharaja of Dhar is shared as the authentic photo of Maharana Pratap - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 1, 2024
An old portrait of a man in regal attire is being shared on social media claiming that it’s the real portrait of Maharana Pratap. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The image shows the comparison between the painting and the real portrait of Maharana Pratap
Fact: The photo on the right in the viral picture shows Anand Rao III Puar (1844 – 1898), the Maharaja of Dhar. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral image, we conducted a reverse image search which led us to the Getty Images website, where the same photo is shared. The title of this photograph identifies this as the portrait of Anand Rao III Puar (1844 – 1898), the Maharaja of Dhar. It also mentions the image was clicked in 1877 and that it is sourced from the Hulton Archive.
On further research, an image of the same person was published on the Royal Collection Trust website which confirms that the person in the image is Maharaja of Dhar.
On the other hand, Maharana Pratap, a Rajput king of the kingdom of Mewar lived from 1540-1597.
To sum up, a portrait of the Maharaja of Dhar is shared as the authentic photo of Maharana Pratap.


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A prank magic video shared as a demonstration of the hazardous properties of energy drinks - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 10, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of a man demonstrating the hazardous properties of energy drinks. The video shows a man dipping a cut-up balloon into an energy drink solution and then blowing up the reattached balloon, and many other such tricks. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a man demonstrating hazardous properties of energy drinks.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows parody magic tricks by a US-based magician Rick Lax. Rick Lax published this video by providing a disclaimer stating, “Amazing Magic Hacks from Rick Lax”. The video does not show a demonstration of the hazardous properties of energy drinks. 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 2020. This YouTube channel published the video describing it as a parody magic video by Rick Lax.
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords on the internet, the same video was found on the official Facebook page of Rick Lax. Rick Lax, a magician and the content creator of the US-based company Network Media, published the video with the description, “ENERGY DRINK HACKS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN! (Amazing ‘Magic Hacks’ from Rick Lax)”. In the description, Rick Lax emphasized it is a prank magic video.
A few other magic prank videos published by Rick Lax can be seen here, here and here. Several medical research studies confirmed that energy drinks can cause serious health conditions, particularly in children, teenagers and youth. But, it is nowhere reported that energy drinks exhibit the elasticity or adhesive properties that could stick a blew-up balloon.
To sum it up, a prank magic video was shared as the visuals of a man demonstrating the hazardous properties of energy drinks.


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A pre-election video from Gujarat is being circulated as BJP party men and police obstructing Muslims from voting in the elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a video alleging that BJP party men and Police in Gujarat have obstructed Muslims from participating in elections. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the video and claims made in the post.
In the video, BJP party men and Police in Gujarat have obstructed Muslims from casting their votes in the election.
Fact: This video was in circulation on several social media platforms before the commencement of the General Elections-2019. So, it is in no way related to any election day incident. Hence the claim is FALSE.
When the video in the post is run through the Invid, several keyframes were obtained. On using Google Reverse Image technique for each keyframe, a certain keyframe directed to a tweet of a user ‘Sushma ji’. She uploaded this video in a tweet on April 3, 2019, i.e. before the start of the phase-1 of General Elections-2019 (11th April 2019). Gujarat went to polls in the 3rd phase, on 23rd April, 2019. Hence this video is in circulation from much earlier than the actual poll dates.
Hence, a pre-election video from Gujarat is being circulated as BJP party men and police obstructing Muslims from voting in elections.


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A procession to celebrate Hanuman Jayanthi in Noida is shared as Hindus rallying in support of Nupur Sharma in Jammu - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Hindus in Jammu were marching in support of Nupur Sharma. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Hindus marching in support of Nupur Sharma.
Fact: The video is part of a procession taken out on Hanuman Jayanthi in Noida. On 17 April 2022, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised a massive procession on Hanuman Jayanthi in Noida. Some Muslims had served beverages to people taking out such a procession in Noida. Though rallies were taken out in support of Nupur Sharma in some parts of the country, this viral video is not related to such recent rallies. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same video was found uploaded on Facebook. The Facebook video was uploaded by ‘RSS Noida’ page on 18 April 2022. Which means the video is nearly two months old and is not related to the recent comments made by Nupur Sharma.
According to the Facebook post, the video is part of Hanuman Jayanthi and Sri Ramanavami celebrations in Noida. When we searched online with relevant keywords, a YouTube channel – ‘Jan Josh News’ – confirms the visuals to be from Noida. The procession was taken out by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in Noida, to celebrate Hanuman Jayanthi. A video of the procession can also be seen in the Facebook page of Vishwa Hindu Parishad Noida.
On 17 April 2022, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised a massive procession on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanthi in Noida. Some Muslims had served beverages to people taking out the procession in Noida. So, the video is not related to Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammed.
According to some news reports, rallies were taken out in support of Nupur Sharma in some parts of the country (here and here). However, this viral video is not related to such recent rallies.
To sum it up, a procession to celebrate Hanuman Jayanthi in Noida is falsely shared as Hindus rallying in support of Nupur Sharma in Jammu.


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A random formula and questionable data predict the COVID-19 community transmission risk in various states - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 23, 2020
An infographic titled – ‘Risk of Community Transmission of COVID-19’ is being shared on social media with a claim that the Telangana State has COVID-19 community transmission risk of 122%. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Risk percentage of Community Transmission of COVID-19 for various states in India. Telangana has a high risk of 122%.
Fact: The formula used to calculate the community transmission risk has no scientific basis. Also, the numbers used for calculation are reportedly taken from the Aarogya Setu app which is not used by everybody. While the number of people in containment zones in Telangana currently stands at 1,99,465, the quarantine number taken for calculating the Telangana COVID-19 transmission risk is just around 3000. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the profile ‘@india.in.pixels’, it was found that the Facebook page – ‘India in Pixels’  has posted (archived) the same infographic on their page on 22 June 2020. But, it can be seen that they have made an edit to their post and added that – ‘Please do not panic based on this infographic, it is not making a prediction but only comparing the number of quarantined people in comparison with active cases. For Delhi and Telangana, this ratio is higher compared to other states based on the Aarogya Setu app. A value above 100 means there are more people active than people quarantined which means they need to increase the quarantining of people – that’s it. We are not making any claim on the spread – which will depend upon population simulations. The infographic has been circulated without the context and people from different sides appropriating it to suit their narrative.’ The clarifications issued by @indiainpixels on their twitter can be seen here and here.
Also, a GitHub link to the data used for calculations is given in the post. On looking at the data, it can be found that the number of quarantined people taken for calculating the risk for Telangana is just around 3000. In the press note issued by the Telangana government, it can be seen that the number of people in the containment zones at present is 1,99,465 i.e. around 60 times more than the number used for calculation.
Also, there is no scientific basis for the formula used for calculating the risk of community transmission. In one of its comments, the ‘India in Pixels’ itself mentioned – ‘the metric is super rough. While a more perfect metric can be made considering population density and testing parameters, it will be far too complex to be visualized. This metric is simple to understand but is arguably rough.’ Even if consider the formula as a metric to calculate the community transmission risk, with the numbers given by the Telangana government (not as reported from Aarogya Setu app), the risk for Telangana comes just around 2.2%. (with data as on 22 June 2020)
To sum it up, a random formula and questionable data are taken to show Telangana has COVID-19 community transmission risk of 122%.
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A recent video shot during ‘The Kashmir Files’ screening at a theatre in Nashik is shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 7, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Maharashtra Navanirman Sena activists making a Muslim teacher offer saffron shawls to his girl students. This post claims that Raj Thackrey-led Maharashtra Navanirman Sena activists have done this after the Muslim teacher had forced his female students in a Christian school to recite Namaz. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Maharashtra Navanirman Sena activists forcefully making a Muslim teacher to offer saffron shawls to girl students.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a recent incident that took place during ‘The Kashmir Files’ film screening at a theatre in Nashik, Maharashtra. On 23 March 2022, a scuffle broke at this theatre after a group of women who arrived to watch ‘The Kashmir Files’ wearing saffron stoles were allegedly made to remove the same before entering the cinema hall. A group that had sponsored these women to watch ‘The Kashmir Files’ has provided these saffron stoles for their identification as part of this group. There is no communal narrative in the incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, it is found that several Facebook users have shared this video in the last week of March 2022. They can be seen here and here.  Sharing the video, these users mentioned that the management of a theatre in Nashik had forcefully removed saffron shawls worn by a group of women who came together to watch ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie.
When we searched for more reliable sources using these keywords, a photo showing the same person as in the viral video was found tweeted by ‘ANI’ on 23 March 2022. ‘ANI’ tweeted it as the pictures of a scuffle that broke out at a theatre in Nashik during the screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie. This scuffle reportedly took place after the theatre management had demanded a group of women to remove saffron stoles before entering the cinema hall.
Maharashtra |A scuffle broke out at a film theatre in Nashik after some women who arrived to watch 'The Kashmir Files', wearing saffron stoles,were allegedly made to remove the same before entering the hall
Police say "There was a brawl that later ended. It's peaceful now" (1/2) pic.twitter.com/99yLtDpHTr
While speaking about this saffron stole issue with ‘ANI’, one of the women from this group said, “The women had joined a group that was helping them watch ‘The Kashmir Files’. The group had no badge or anything of that sort, so they provided them with saffron stoles for their identification as part of the group. There was nothing else behind it”. So, it can be confirmed that the man who was offering saffron shawls in the video is one of the organizers of this group that sponsored ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie for these women. Reporting the complete details of this incident, several news websites published articles in March 2022. They can be seen here, here, and here. It is nowhere reported that the man who is offering saffron shawls to these women in the video belongs to the Muslim community.
To sum it up, the video of an incident involving saffron shawls in Nashik during the screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ is shared with a false communal narrative.


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A review of the ‘Prevention of Cow Slaughter’ laws across the country
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 1, 2021
Karnataka recently issued an ordinance aimed at the prevention of cow slaughter. In recent times, a few other states have also made changes or enacted new laws related to the prevention of cow slaughter. Here is a review.
Recently, the State Cabinet of Karnataka approved the ‘Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Ordinance (2020)’, which was earlier passed in the Karnataka State Assembly on 09 December 2020. The state government preferred an ordinance since it is yet to be approved by the Karnataka Legislative Council.   This bill is a revised version of a Bill passed in 2010 by the then BJP government in the Karnataka Assembly. However, that bill was not approved eventually and was shelved by the Congress-led government in 2013.
The current bill is more stringent in the case of offences and expansive in its definition compared to the existing ‘The Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964’. While the existing bill allowed for slaughter of bullock, male/female buffalo if certified by a competent authority, the new bill passed in 2020, has deemed slaughter of any Cattle as illegal (i.e. not just Cows).
Apart from Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also brought about changes in anti-cattle slaughter laws in recent years.
5 states do not have any specific laws for slaughter of cattle especially Cows
As per the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the State as per Article 246 of the Indian Constitution, the preservation of Cattle comes under the States’ list and the individual states have exclusive powers to bring in legislation. It is entry 15 as part of the items under State List.
While the Constitution of India does not authorize the centre to make any law on this aspect, it is mentioned in the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 48.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on 26 July 2019, the government stated that with the exception of 5 States (Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram & Nagaland) and 1 Union Territory i.e. Lakshadweep, the rest of the States/UTs have legislation on the slaughter of cows.
Even among the States where related legislation exists, there are differences in the scope of the law and the punishment for offences. Furthermore, while there are laws preventing the slaughter of cow and cattle (with a varying definition of what is included in the scope), there is no explicit legislation which prevents the consumption of beef.
The nature of offence also varies among the states. In few of the States/UTs – Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Puducherry, Rajasthan, U.P & Uttarakhand, any violation of the law relating to cattle slaughter is considered as both cognizable and non-bailable offences.  In the rest of the states, the violations are cognizable offences.
Gujarat, Haryana & U.P made changes to the legislation in the last decade
Most of the legislations by the states date back to a few decades. Apart from Karnataka, three States i.e. Gujarat, Haryana, & U.P made changes to these legislations in recent times.
Gujarat:
Gujarat passed “The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2011” in its legislative Assembly in 2011. This act is a further amendment to “Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954”
While the earlier law prevented the slaughter of cows, calves, bulls & bullocks, the slaughter of buffaloes was permitted under certain conditions and any violations were treated as a cognizable offence with the punishment of – imprisonment up to 6 months, or a fine up to Rs 1 thousand or both.
The new legislation brought about in 2011 makes the following changes:
Haryana
In 2015, the State government of Haryana brought into effect the “Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015”. This act replaces the earlier “The Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955” which was also applicable to Punjab, Chandigarh & Himachal Pradesh (constituents of Punjab state before division)
Even before enacting this new legislation, the punishment for offences in Haryana had stricter penalties than the other two states (Punjab & H.P) & Chandigarh. As per the current law, any violation can attract rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years or fine up to Rs. 1 lakh or both. The new legislation places the burden of proof on the accused.
Uttar Pradesh
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 completely prohibits the slaughter of cows. The transportation of cows outside the state for slaughter is also not allowed. Consumption of beef, defined as the flesh of cow (including bull or bullock) is prohibited but flesh in sealed containers imprinted into U.P is exempt.
The law considers any violation as a non-bailable and cognizable offence. The earlier legislation also permitted for the slaughter of Bull/bullock on obtaining a “Fit-for-slaughter certificate’, provided that it was over 15 years of age and has become permanently unfit for breeding or any agricultural activities.
As per this new ordinance, the first offence can attract rigorous imprisonment of 1-10 years and a fine between Rs. 1-3 lakhs. A second offence would entail rigorous imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakhs. Few of the other provisions include:
The stated intent of the new legislations in these states is to ensure the protection of cows and other bovine population. However, the non-uniformity in the laws across the states creates a situation of illegal transportation to the states where slaughter is allowed. There are also accusations from human rights groups and civil society that the laws are being misused. In addition, there are challenges in the implementation of these laws since most farmers and cattle rearers find it difficult to maintain the cattle beyond their productive age.
In the next story, we take a look at the bovine population of the country based on the livestock census and analyse if there is any impact of these laws on the bovine population in various states.
Featured Image: Prevention of Cow Slaughter

created: January 1, 2021


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A Russian soldier is falsely portrayed as injured Indian soldier - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 4, 2020
A collage with the photos of an injured army soldier is being shared on social media claiming him as the Indian Army Jawan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of an injured Indian army soldier.
Fact:  Man in the photo is Russian Special forces officer Maxim Razumovsky, not the Indin soldier. In 2004, Maxim Razumovsky died while rescuing school children from a terrorist seized school in Beslan. This photo was shot during that rescue operation. 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 a Russian news website on ‘01 September 2016’. This article is about the 12 Anniversary of the tragic terrorist attack at a school in Beslan during the year 2004. In the article, this photo is shared as one of the photos shot during the rescue mission of the captive children from the seized school in Beslan. The same photo was shared on another Russian news website. It can be seen here. In the article, the injured soldier mentioned as Maxim Razumovsky.
Sharing the same photo, few social media users mentioned him as the Russian special officer Maxim Razumovsky who returned to rescue the children after getting injured several times. They can be seen here and here. On searching for more information using these keywords, we found an article stating the injured soldier name as Maxim. From all these pieces of evidence, we can conclude the injured man in the photo is a Russian soldier.
To sum it up, an injured Russian soldier falsely portrayed as the Indian army soldier.

created: November 4, 2020


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A same-sex couple's wedding was not happening when this Church was struck by lightning - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 13, 2023
A video depicting a church engulfed in flames is being widely shared on social media with a claim that the church allegedly located in Boston, Massachusetts, was struck by lightning during a famous same-sex couple’s wedding. The alleged incident is said to have occurred on 3 June 2023. This article aims to fact-check the claim.
Claim: A church in Boston was struck by powerful lightning during the wedding of a same-sex couple on 3 June 2023.
Fact: The footage in the video actually shows the First Congregational Church of Spencer, Massachusetts, burning down after being struck by lightning. News reports confirm that the church was closed and unoccupied during the incident. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
The video in question shows the burning of the First Congregational Church of Spencer, Massachusetts. Boston25 News, a video that is similar to the viral video on Twitter. Also, this incident has been widely reported by various news outlets.
News reports (here, here, and here) confirm that the First Congregational Church of Spencer caught fire after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm on 2 June 2023.
Hindustan Times reported that the church was empty when the fire broke out, and no one was injured. It took nearly 100 firefighters to control the blaze. In a conversation with AP News, the Fire Chief of Spencer, Robert Parsons, stated that the church was closed and no wedding was taking place at the time of the incident.
A video uploaded by USA Today on YouTube showcases the church’s steeple falling from a different angle. CBS News reported that firefighters were able to pull back in time before the steeple collapsed.
This contradicts the claim that firefighters were unable to reach the church before it was completely destroyed. This video and photos in the Facebook post by the Spencer Fire and Emergency Services clearly show firefighters extinguishing the fire while the building was still standing.
To sum up, the viral claim associating the church fire with a lightning strike during the wedding of a same-sex couple in Boston is false. The footage actually depicts the First Congregational Church of Spencer, Massachusetts, which caught fire after being struck by lightning on 2 June 2023. The church was closed and unoccupied during the incident, contrary to the claim made in the post.


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A sarcastic tweet saying crores of people gathered in support of Arvind Kejriwal is being shared as real - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 1, 2024
A screenshot (here, here and here) of a tweet allegedly showing crores of people gathering at a rally in support of Arvind Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody regarding a liquor policy case, is currently trending on social media platforms. The tweet, made by a user named ‘The Skin Doctor’, includes two photos of enormous gathering of people. This article aims to fact-check the validity of the claim.
Claim: These photos show visuals of five crore people who attended a rally in Nainital to support Arvind Kejriwal.
Fact: The photos used in the tweet were taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2022, during a celebration parade after Argentina’s national team won the FIFA World Cup. The tweet from ‘The Skin Doctor’ to which the viral screenshot belongs was identified as satire by X (formerly Twitter). Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To begin the fact-checking process, we first examined the original tweet (archived post) made by ‘The Skin Doctor.’ The tweet had been tagged as satire by X (formerly known as Twitter), negating the validity of its claims.
Around 5 crores people in Nainital today participated in a rally to support of Arvind Kejriwal. This is just from one district. Similar rallies were reported from all over India today.
Scary visuals for BJP supporters! pic.twitter.com/elRB829LlC
To further investigate, we conducted an image reverse search of the photos included in the tweet. The search results showed (here, here and here) that these images were from 2022 and were taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, not Nainital, India. The crowds had gathered to celebrate Argentina’s victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, not in support of Arvind Kejriwal.
While it’s true that the Aam Aadmi Party and the I.N.D.I.A bloc have protested against Kejriwal’s arrest, and these protests have seen significant turnout (here and here), these images are unrelated.
To sum up, the claim disseminated through the tweet that five crore people rallied in support of Arvind Kejriwal in Nainital is False. The images used in the tweet were taken at a different event in Argentina, and the tweet itself was tagged as satire.


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A sarcastic video highlighting the problem of potholes in Bengaluru is shared linking it to various cities - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2023
Update (28 August 2023):
Social media users are now sharing the same video that was debunked below attributing it to situation of  roads in Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad. However, as explained below, the video was made by street artist Baadal Nanjundaswamy in September 2019 to highlight the problem of potholes in Herohalli, Bengaluru
Published (05 September 2023):
A video of a person wearing an astronaut suit and walking in a pothole-ridden road is being widely shared claiming that the visuals show the pathetic condition of the roads in Jammu and Kashmir. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a person wearing an astronaut suit and walking on a pothole-ridden road in Jammu and Kashmir.
Fact: According to several news reports, this video was made by street artist Baadal Nanjundaswamy in September 2019 to highlight the problem of potholes in Herohalli, Bengaluru. It is not related to the road conditions in Jammu and Kashmir. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We ran a reverse image search of the keyframes extracted from the viral video and came across several media reports published by Indian Express, NDTV and ETV Bharat about this incident in 2019. According to these reports, in September 2019, Baadal Nanjundaswamy, a popular street artist from Bengaluru, decided to make the actor Poornachandra Mysore ‘moonwalk’ down the roads of Herohalli, Bengaluru to draw the attention of civic bodies to the problem of potholes.
Taking a cue from this, we found the original post shared by Baadal Nanjundaswamy on Twitter. The video went viral and concerned authorities were forced to act immediately to solve the problem. An interview of Baadal with India Today can be seen here. In the past, Baadal created several street arts to highlight various social issues.
Hello bbmp👋 @BBMPCOMM @BBMP_MAYOR @bbm #thelatest #streetart #nammabengaluru #herohalli pic.twitter.com/hsizngTpRH
Additionally, we found that potholes, on average, claimed 2,300 lives annually from 2016 to 2020, according to Government data.
To sum it up, a sarcastic video made to highlight the problem of Potholes in Bengaluru is shared linking it to Jammu and Kashmir


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A scripted fight choreography video is falsely shared as a real video of three French paramilitary women personnel facing off molesters - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 16, 2023
A video circulating on social media is being shared with a claim that three French paramilitary women are seen beating men teasing them in an underground tunnel. The post also claims that the men are migrants. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This video shows three French paramilitary women facing off with molesters who are migrants.
Fact: The video is a choreographed stunt featuring professional trainees at the Campus Univers Cascades, a stunt training centre in France. Hence, the claim is false.
Conducting a reverse image search on keyframes from the viral video led us to a TikTok video by “thedvrko,” a user known for posting fight/action stunt videos.
The hoodie with a logo reading CUC (Campus Univers Cascades) seen in the viral video matched that of this man’s hoodie, which carried a similar logo in the TikTok video.
Further search led to an Instagram account, “karinasoreelli,” featuring a stunt rehearsal video, which, according to her, is from the CUC stunt training camp. A further search led us to CUC’s (Campus Univers Cascades) Instagram page, where they posted the original video on 02 November 2023.
A post shared by Campus Univers Cascades (@campus.univers.cascades)
According to their website, Campus `Univers Cascades is a professional stunt training centre in France. In a communication with the Spanish news website newtral.es, they emphasised that everything in this video was choreographed for an illusion of reality.
To sum up, the viral video falsely claims that the video shows a real incident involving French paramilitary women and migrant miscreants. Instead, it is a choreographed stunt performed by trainees at the Campus Univers Cascades, a stunt training centre.

created: November 16, 2023


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A scripted video depicting a Muslim man removing a saffron flag belonging to Hindus is being shared as a real incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 28, 2024
Several posts (here, here, & here) accompanying a video of a man wearing a skullcap removing a saffron flag while arguing with a woman are being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that the video depicts a Muslim man removing and throwing the flag of Lord Sri Ram. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting a Muslim man removing the flag of Lord Sri Ram.
Fact: The video is scripted and does not depict a real incident. It was uploaded by a video content creator page on Facebook called “Himanshu Jatav.” Furthermore, the man who ‘protects’ the woman in the viral video appears in almost all other videos released by this Facebook page. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using the keyframes from the video. This search led us to several posts (here, here, and here) on X (formerly Twitter), where users posted this video and referred to it as a scripted video. One user claimed that all the individuals in the video belong to the Hindu community, including the one wearing the Muslim skullcap. The user also identified one of them as ‘Hemraj Thakur,’ alleging that he is known for creating such scripted videos. Additionally, the user tagged the Uttar Pradesh police to take necessary action against ‘Hemraj Thakur’ and provided screenshots of his Facebook profile.
इसमे जो 'मुस्लिम' टोपी वाला है, वो भी हिंदू है। महिला भी actor है। Hemraj Thakur और कई लोग ऐसे 'महिलाओं से छेड़खानी', acting video बनाकर, कई मे Muslim angle नही भी होता है, पैसा कमाते हैं। पर इसमे communal colour है। @Uppolice को संज्ञान लेना चाहिये!https://t.co/qaP1afn8Yf
Taking a cue from this, we located the Facebook page of ‘Hemraj Thakur.’ It appears that he has changed his Facebook profile name, now going by the name “Himanshu Jatav.” According to his page description, he is a Delhi-based video creator. Upon examining the page, we found several staged videos. However, we did not find the viral video on his Facebook page. Nevertheless, we observed that the man who ‘protects’ the woman in the viral video appears in almost all videos. Additionally, he posted a clarification post stating that the videos were for entertainment purposes and that the characters were not real.
Some other videos of them can be found here, and here. This suggests that the viral video does not depict a real incident but rather a scripted one.
During this search, we also found an Instagram handle by the same user, namely, ‘Himanshu Jatav’. The user’s bio is described as an artist. Furthermore, we found many staged and prank videos on his Instagram page as well. Based on all this information, it is evident that the viral video is scripted.
To sum it up, a scripted video depicting a Muslim man removing a saffron flag belonging to Hindus is being shared as a real incident.


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A scripted video depicting an argument between a woman passenger and a bus conductor over burqa is being shared as a real incident from Bangladesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 26, 2024
A video (here, here, & here) depicting a female passenger engaged in a verbal altercation with a bus conductor is widely circulating across social media platforms. The claim accompanying the video suggests that it shows an argument between a bus conductor and a Hindu female passenger over not wearing a burqa while traveling during the month of Ramadan in Bangladesh. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim asserted in the post.
Claim: Video depicting an argument between a bus conductor and a Hindu female passenger over not wearing a burqa while traveling during the month of Ramadan in Bangladesh.
Fact: The video is scripted and does not depict a real incident. It was uploaded by a content creator page on Facebook called “Cartoon Show.” Furthermore, the individuals featured in the viral video can be observed playing various roles in other videos released by this Facebook page. Therefore, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To learn more about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using keyframes from the video. This search led us to an extended version of the viral video posted on the Facebook page ‘Cartoon Show’ on 14 March 2024. The Facebook page itself identifies as a ‘video creator’ page.
Upon examining this Facebook page, we discovered that it regularly uploads scripted videos. Most of the videos featured on the channel showcase the same actors who appear in the viral video. Some other videos of them can be found here, here, here, and here. This suggests that the viral video does not depict a real incident but rather a scripted one.
During our search, we also discovered the YouTube channel ‘Valo 24’ of the same video creators. In the ‘About’ section of this channel, it reads: “This is an educational short film, Social short film. Love Kolkata channel uploads all educational short films of our ongoing life happenings. All our stories are fictional. So, if our story matches someone’s life, then we apologize to them. All our stories are created to entertain you. If you get some entertainment from our story.” From all of this information, it becomes evident that the viral video is a scripted one.
To sum it up, a scripted video depicting an argument between a woman passenger and a bus conductor over burqa is being shared as a real incident from Bangladesh.


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A scripted video from Egypt is shared as visuals of a burqa-clad woman kidnapping a boy in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 7, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of a Muslim woman kidnapping a boy in India. The video shows a burqa-clad woman pricking a pin on a boy’s shoulder and abducting him after he becomes unconscious. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a burqa-clad woman kidnapping a boy in India.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a scripted drama filmed by four teenagers in Egypt. Egypt’s Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified that the video is fake and was created with a motive of achieving high financial return by increasing the viewership on social networking sites. This video does not show a real incident and it had nothing to do with India. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found on the Facebook page of ‘Ashraq News Al Sharq’ news website. This news channel reported it as a scripted video intentionally filmed by four teenagers in Egypt. When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords, we found the details of this video in an article published by the ‘Al Hadath’ news website on 29 June 2022. ‘Al Hadath’ confirmed it as a staged video filmed by four teenagers to attract a high viewership on their social media handles. This scripted video was reportedly filmed on one of the streets in the Girga city of Sohag Governate in Egypt.
The four teenagers who filmed this video and made it viral on social media were arrested by the Egyptian police. On 29 June 2022, the official Facebook handle of the Egypt’s Ministry of Interior released a video issuing a clarification regarding this fake video circulating on social media. The Egypt’s Ministry of Interior mentioned it as a fabricated video created with the motive of achieving a high financial return by increasing the viewership rate. The video shows one of the accused revealing the circumstances of the circulation of this fake video clip on social networking sites.
Reporting the details of this scripted video, several news websites have published articles. They can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be confirmed that the video shared in the post shows a staged drama created by a few teenagers in Egypt.
To sum it up, a scripted video filmed by a few teenagers in Egypt is shared as visuals of a burqa-clad woman kidnapping a boy in India.


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A scripted video is being falsely shared as Aghoris attempting human sacrifice in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 7, 2024
A post featuring a video showing Aghoris purportedly performing a ritual while a boy lies unconscious is being widely circulated on social media platforms. The claim accompanying the video suggests that it depicts Aghoris attempting to offer a human sacrifice to God by throwing a boy into a fire in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This article aims to fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Aghoris attempted to offer a human sacrifice to God by throwing a boy into a fire.
Fact: The video shared in the post is scripted and does not depict a real incident. It was uploaded on a YouTube channel named “Haunted Guru Ji” on 24 January 2024. The video’s description explicitly mentions that it was created for entertainment purposes, clarifying that the visuals are part of a scripted production. Similar scripted dramas can be found on their channel. Therefore, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet, but we did not find any reports about Aghoris attempting to offer a human sacrifice in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Subsequently, to learn more about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using the keyframes of the viral video. This search led us to a full-length video uploaded on a YouTube channel named “Haunted Guru Ji” on 24 January 2024, titled “Aghori Tantrik. It was difficult to mess with Aghori. Aghori is very powerful. Attempt to take human sacrifice…!” (translated from Hindi to English).
In the description of this video, they have provided a disclaimer: “The material and information contained in this video are strictly for information related to paranormal activities and are for entertainment purposes only. You should not rely upon the information in the video as a basis for making any decisions. Anything you may choose to do with the information obtained from our content would be at your own risk and is not recommended by the channel. We will not be liable for any potential outcomes that you may encounter.” This indicates that this video is scripted for entertainment purposes. Based on this information, it is evident that this scripted video is being shared as Aghoris attempting to offer human sacrifice in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Here is a comparison between the viral video and the original video.
Upon examining this channel, we discovered that it regularly uploads scripted videos. Other scripted videos from this channel can be seen here.
To sum it up, a scripted video is being falsely shared, claiming that Aghoris attempted to perform a human sacrifice in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.


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A scripted video is being shared as the last moments of Sushant Singh Rajput before his death - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 26, 2022
A video is being shared on Facebook through a post claiming it to be Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last video. Let’s verify the claim.
Claim: Last moments of Sushant Singh Rajput before his death.
Fact: This is a TikTok video uploaded by a user named Ben Esqueda; it is a scripted video that does not feature Sushant Singh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
After searching the internet with the relevant keywords, we found that many media outlets have debunked this video in 2020. These reports can be seen here, here, here and here. These reports mention that a US-based content creator Ben Esqueda originally uploaded the video on TikTok.
On further search on TikTok, the same video was found to be uploaded on the platform on 09 April 2020, almost two months before the death of Sushant Sing Rajput. The text on the video reads ‘When u fall in love in ur dream but then wake up to an empty bed.’ An archived version video can be watched here.
To sum it up, a scripted video is being shared as the video capturing last moments of Sushant Singh Rajput before his death.


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A scripted video is falsely shared as a real incident of a Hindu man thrown out of an Iftar party - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2024
A video (here, here and here) depicting a Hindu man being forcibly removed from a Mosque during an Iftar get-together has been circulating on social media. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: A Hindu man was thrashed and thrown out of a mosque during Iftar.
Fact: This viral video clip is taken from a longer scripted video produced by a YouTube channel named Prank Buzz. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we searched on the internet using relevant keywords. Our search led us to the extended version of the viral video on Facebook. This version of the video carries a watermark that reads “Prank Buzz.”
Taking this as a hint, we further refined our search and found the original version(archive link) of the video uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Prank Buzz.’ The title of this video is “When a Hindu Sannyasi goes to a Muslim’s Masjid for Iftar? 😱 Hindu vs Muslim Social Experiment 😥.”
At the beginning of this video, the actors provide a disclaimer stating that it’s a social experiment. At the end of the video, they inform the people at the mosque that they are filming an experiment. This information makes it clear that the video is not a true incident but a scripted social experiment.
To sum up, the viral video depicting a Hindu man thrown out of a Mosque during an Iftar party is not a real incident but a scripted social experiment by the YouTube channel ‘Prank Buzz.’


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A scripted video is falsely shared as a real video of siblings who married each other in UP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 10, 2024
A video (here and here) allegedly of a brother and sister from Uttar Pradesh who got married to each other is doing the rounds on social media. The man featured in the video says he and his sister are in love and want to marry. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This video features a married couple from Uttar Pradesh who are a brother and sister.
Fact: This is a scripted video and does not depict a real incident that took place in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the claim’s veracity, we performed a reverse image search online, leading us to the same video(Archive link) uploaded to a Facebook page named Maithili Comedy.
After going through this Facebook page’s ‘Intro’ section, which labels itself as a ‘Video Creator’ page, we learned that the viral video is a fictional video they created for Entertainment purposes. Maithili Comedy posts similar comedy sketches and other scripted short-form content on their page. They even post such scripted videos on their YouTube page.
To sum up, a scripted video of a man saying that he loves his sister and they are ready to get married is being falsely shared as a video of a real incident from Uttar Pradesh.


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A scripted video is falsely shared as the real incident of a young girl rescuing a pregnant woman - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the real CCTV footage of a young girl rescuing a pregnant woman. This video shows an auto-rickshaw driver requesting commuters to help a pregnant woman who is in pain and sitting inside his auto-rickshaw. After several attempts, a BMW car stops at the auto-driver’s request and a young girl is seen coming out from the car. The young girl gave water to the pregnant woman and was seen rescuing her by taking her to a hospital. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video footage showing a young girl rescuing a pregnant woman.
Fact: The video shared in the post is a scripted one. This video was published on the Facebook page of Jammu & Kashmir Peace Foundation. The main motive of the video was to inculcate humanity among children and in society. The visuals in the video do not show a real incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found published on the Jammu & Kashmir Peace Foundation Facebook page on 06 December 2021. The description of the video stated it as a scripted drama created to motivate humanity among children and people in society. They clearly described that their Facebook page features scripted dramas and parodies for entertainment and educational purposes.
Also, this Facebook post recommend viewers visit the ‘LOBO 619’ Facebook page for similar scripted videos. Similar educational and awareness videos were found published on the ‘LOBO 619’ Facebook page. They can be seen here and here. Mohammad Khayyum, popularly known as Lobo is a comedy artist from Hyderabad, Telangana.
Earlier, when a similar awareness video on tackling sexual harassment went viral with a communal narrative, FACTLY published a fact-check article debunking that claim. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, a scripted video is falsely shared as the real incident of a young girl rescuing a pregnant woman.

created: December 10, 2021


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A scripted video is shared as real incident of Muslims trapping Hindu girls - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 16, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Muslim boys trapping Hindu girls for sexual pleasures. This video shows a group of three boys inviting two girls in the name of a birthday party and secretly using some powder on the birthday cake to make the girls go unconscious. Sharing the video, the post claims that it shows the way by which Muslims are trapping their Hindu friends and making them their sex slaves. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslim friends trapping Hindu girls in the name of birthday parties.
Fact: The video shared in the post is a scripted one. This video was created intentionally to create awareness among girls. This scripted video did not portray the boys as Muslims. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found published in the official Facebook page of Sanjjana Galrani, a popular Kannada actress. The description of the video states, “BE CAREFUL…Thank you for watching! Please be aware that this page features scripted dramas and parodies as well. These short films are for entertainment & educational purposes only!”. Sanjjana Galrani clearly stated it as a scripted video created for educating girls to not trust their friends so blindly.
Also, at the end of the original video, we could see a disclaimer with the text, “Thank you for watching! Please be aware that this page features scripted dramas and parodies as well. These short films are for educational purposes only!”. By removing the disclaimer portion in the original video, this edited version is being shared on social media with a false communal narrative. The scripted video did not portray the boys as Muslims.
Recently, when similar scripted videos went viral as real incidents on social media, FACTLY published fact-check articles debunking those claims. Those articles can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, a scripted video is being shared as a real incident of Muslims trapping Hindu girls for sexual pleasures.

created: December 16, 2021


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A scripted video of a woman putting a toddler in a refrigerator is shared as real CCTV footage - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2024
A video (here and here) in which a woman puts a toddler inside a refrigerator is doing the rounds on social media. It is claimed that the woman is suffering from a condition named ‘Phonix firojation syndrome.’ It is alleged that people suffering from this condition forget everything while using a cell phone. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This video clip shows CCTV footage of a woman putting her child inside a refrigerator.
Fact: This is a scripted video made for educational and entertainment purposes. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we performed a reverse image search on a few of its keyframes, which led us to the original full-length version of the viral video. This was uploaded on a Facebook page named ‘IdeasFactory.’
IdeasFactory provided a disclaimer at the end of the video and also mentioned in the video’s description that it was made for educational and entertainment purposes only.
They also mentioned that their page features scripted dramas and parodies. You can notice this on their page where they uploaded plenty of such scripted videos.
Furthermore, we searched the internet for a disease or condition known as ‘Phonix firojation syndrome.’ which was mentioned in the viral post. This search did not yield any credible information to prove the existence of such a condition.
However, we learned (here and here) that there is one condition related to phones and humans known as ‘Nomophobia’ in which ‘ a person experiences fear or anxiety about not having mobile phone connectivity. It can lead to agitation, changes in breathing, and other symptoms.’
To sum up, this video in which a woman keeps a toddler in a fridge is scripted, not real CCTV footage.


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A self-immolation incident is being shared as Christian couple set on fire by RSS men - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 17, 2019
A disturbing video of a couple burnt badly is being shared widely on Twitter with the claim ‘UP, India: Christian couple was set on fire by the Hindu radicals RSS after the man resisted forcible occupation of his land. Son kept sobbing..this is horrifying!! World has turned a blind eye to what is happening in India’. On Facebook, a photo of a visual seen in that video is being shared with the same claim.
Video of a Christian couple in UP set on fire by Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) men as they resisted the forcible occupation of their land.
Fact: Video shows a couple who set themselves ablaze in the premises of Surir police station (Mathura), as they failed to get justice on a harassment complaint filed by them. So, the claim is FALSE.
When searched on Google with keywords ‘UP couple set on fire’, many search results were obtained. The search result of ‘The Times of India’ had the same video clip in its article published on that incident. From the article, it is known that a couple in Mathura district have set themselves ablaze at the premises of Surir Police Station as the Police have failed to take action against their neighbour who has been harassing them for a long time. So, there is no communal angle to this incident.
As the video went viral with the same claim, Mathura Police have clarified tweeting that the claim is baseless and false.
मथुरा पुलिस द्वारा की गयी कार्यवाही। #UPPAgainstFakeNews pic.twitter.com/iJRbzkL9gN
To conclude, a video of self-immolation by a couple in UP is being shared as that of a Christian couple set on fire by RSS men.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: October 17, 2019


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A self-immolation video from Rajasthan is being shared as the Indian Army’s attack on Kashmiris - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 22, 2019
A video is being shared with a claim that it shows the Indian Army’s brutal attack on Kashmiris. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of Indian Army burning a man in Kashmir.
Fact: The incident in the video took place in Rajasthan, not in Jammu and Kashmir. The man in the video immolated himself and tried to catch the officers (Police Department and Forest Department, not the Indian Army), who came to remove his family from the encroached land. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, an article published by Dainik Bhaskar on this incident can be found in the search results. According to that article, the man set himself on fire and tried to catch the officers when they came to ask him and his family to vacate the encroached forest land. Some families in Gudha village of Gudha Gorji town (Rajasthan) have illegally occupied the forest land and have been living on the land from several years. Upon receiving a complaint, the Forest Department, along with the Police Department, went there to remove the encroachment. While some people resisted by throwing stones at the officers, one man immolated himself and tried to catch the officers.
To sum it up, a self-immolation video from Rajasthan is being shared as the Indian Army’s attack on Kashmiris.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


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A simulated gaming video shared as the recent visuals of the Russian Military firing missiles on PMC Wagner troops - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 26, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the recent visuals of the Russian Air Force firing missiles on PMC Wagner ground troops. In the wake of the tensions between the Russian military and the PMC Wagner troops, a mercenary organization headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, this video was going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent video showing Russian Air Force firing missiles on the ground troops of PMC Wagner organization.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a simulation clip created using the ARMA-3 video game software. The video has nothing to do with the incidents between the Russian military and PMC Wagner troops. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, similar visuals were found in a video published by a YouTube channel named ‘Battle POPs’ on 31 March 2023. This YouTube channel published the video with the title, “Russia’s Elite Air Force vs Ukrainian SAM Missiles Combat | MilSim Arma 3”, and a disclaimer was provided in the description of the video stating, “This video is a virtual game simulation.”
‘Battle POPs’ published many other simulation video gaming clips on their YouTube channel. A few of them can be seen here, here, and here.
Earlier, when similar ‘Arma 3’ gaming videos were shared as the visuals from the Russia-Ukraine war, Factly published fact-check articles debunking those claims. Those fact-check articles can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, a simulated video game clip is shared as the recent visuals of Russian Air Forces firing missiles on PMC Wagner troops.


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Simulated video is shared as visuals of Russian Aeroflot flight SU1492 crash-landing in Moscow - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 29, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the recent crash-landing visuals of the Russian SU1492 flight after an unsuccessful emergency landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International airport. According to the post, 41 passengers were killed in this accident. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent crash-landing visuals of Russian Aeroflot flight SU1492.
Fact: The video shared in the post is digitally created using simulation software. The Russian Aeroflot Flight SU1492 crash-landed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International airport on 05 May 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the details regarding the Russian SU1492 crash-landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International airport, we found the complete details of this accident on the ‘Aviation safety Network’(ASN) website. This accident reportedly took place on 05 May 2019. According to the ‘ASN’ website, Aeroflot flight 1492, a Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B, returned to land at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in Russia and burst into flames during an attempted emergency landing.  Of the 78 persons on the board, 41 persons reportedly have died in this accident.  Reporting the details of this accident, several news agencies published articles in May 2019. They can be read here and here.
The ‘Investigative Committee of the ‘Russian Federation’ released video footage of the tragic Aeroflot Flight SU1492 crash-landing on 05 May 2019. ‘ASN’ and several media outlets have published this live video footage of SU1492 crash-landing. The footage can be seen here, here, and here.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found in a YouTube channel named ‘Dirceau Marchado’. Sharing this video, he mentioned it as a digitally simulated video by a ‘Kwai’ social media user, mariajosesuarez. On observing carefully, we could see a watermark ‘ID: mariajosesuarez68006’ on the video. Reporting the same, a few other users have shared this video on their YouTube channels. Similar simulation videos of airplane crash-landings can be seen here and here. Though we could not ascertain the origin of this video, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post has nothing to do with the 2019 crash-landing of Aeroflot Flight SU1492.
To sum it up, a simulated video is being shared as recent visuals of Russian Aeroflot flight SU1492 crash-landing in Moscow.

created: September 29, 2021


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A simulation video from a game shared as ‘Real video of PIA plane crash in Karachi’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2020
A video of a plane crash is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the real video of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane crash on 22 May 2020 in Karachi. In the video, the text – ‘2016 runsame’ can be seen. So, when searched with relevant keywords, the same video was found on YouTube. It was uploaded by ‘runsame’ in December 2016 with the title – ‘Extreme Crash PIA ATR 42 Flight 661 Islamabad’. In the description of the video, it can be read that the video was created using Microsoft’s ‘Flight Simulator X’ game. Many other simulation videos can be found on his YouTube account. So, the video is old and is not of a real-life incident. If you carefully observe the video, it is clear that the video shows a virtual environment.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgDwVuXiIAA
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A simulation video is being falsely shown as volcanic eruption in Indonesia - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 21, 2019
A post with the video of a volcanic eruption is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the footage shows Sinabung Volcano eruption in Indonesia. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The footage shows Sinabung Volcanic Eruption in Indonesia on 9th June 2019.
Fact: It is not a real volcanic eruption. It is a simulation generated as part of a research to show the effect of an undersea volcano eruption in New Zealand. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the video in the post is divided into frames using InVID tool and frames are run through Google Reverse Image search, newspaper articles with similar images can be found in the search results. According to an article in ‘The Sun’, the footage in the video shows a simulation generated for research purposes. It shows the effect on the Auckland city in New Zealand if the nearby undersea super-volcano erupts. So, the video in the post is just a 3D-visualization and it is not related to Indonesia.
To sum it up, a simulation video is being falsely shown as volcanic eruption in Indonesia.
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A state-specific ‘Blood on Call’ (104) service in Maharashtra is being shared as a Pan-Indian service - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 30, 2019
Update (08 November 2022): The ‘Blood on Call’ (104) service that was launched in Maharashtra in January-2014 was discontinued by the state government from 01 April 2022. Officials cited ‘financially unviable’ as the reason for the discontinuation of the service.
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that a new ‘Blood on call’ service with the helpline number ‘104’ has been launched by the Government for the blood requirement in India. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
‘104’ launched as a Pan-India helpline number for the ‘Blood on Call’ service.
Fact: ‘104’ helpline was launched for the ‘Blood on Call’ service only in Maharashtra. It is not a Pan-Indian service. Other states use the ‘104’ helpline for providing other services. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When searched on Google about the ‘Blood on Call’ (104) service, it was found that the service was launched in Maharashtra in January-2014. The details provided in the post about the service can be also found in an article published by ‘Times of India’ in 2014. The helpline number can be also found in Maharashtra’s Public Health Department website. But, the ‘104’ helpline is being used for different purposes by other states (even Maharashtra uses the same number for other purposes) and the ‘Blood on Call’ service was not found to be implemented across the country.
When searched further about the ‘104’ helpline, it was found that ‘GVK EMRI is operating “104 Health Advice Helpline Services” in partnership with Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa and Rajasthan Administration of the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and, Dadra & Nagar Haveli.’
‘104’ helpline in some states:
Telangana:
104 medical services are under the control of the director and commissioner of the health department and are meant for rural health services.
Assam:
104 Sarathi is a round-the-clock free of cost health contact center. It provides four key services: Medical advice using triage, Counseling services, Directory information, and Complaint registry.
Rajasthan:
The 104 Medical Advice Service will help people get all information related to health by dialing a toll-free number “104”.
To sum it up, a state-specific ‘Blood on Call’ (104) service in Maharashtra is being shared as a Pan-Indian service.
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created: September 30, 2019


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A still from a movie is falsely shared as ‘Rare picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s murder by Nathuram Godse’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 31, 2020
A post with a photo is being widely shared on Facebook with the claim that it is a rare picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s murder by Nathuram Godse. Let’s analyze the claim made in the post.
A rare picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s murder by Nathuram Godse.
Fact: The image is from a still of the movie ‘Nine Hours to Rama (1963)’. So, the claim is FALSE.
When the image is subjected to reverse image search technique, a link of ‘Internet Movie Database’ (IMDb) was obtained in the search results. It is related to the movie ‘Nine Hours to Rama (1963)’. The image was found in the photo gallery of that movie. The movie is about Nathuram Godse’s plan to kill Mahatma Gandhi and the task of a police officer, Gopal Das, to find the killer before it’s too late.
The movie ‘Nine Hours to Rama’ was found on YouTube and a still in it, at 1:55:32, is similar to that of the viral photograph.
To conclude, a still from a movie is falsely shared as ‘Rare picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s murder by Nathuram Godse’.
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created: January 31, 2020


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A still from a play is being falsely shared as a real-life intimate photo of Nehru with a British woman. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 6, 2024
A photograph allegedly capturing an intimate moment of Jawaharlal Nehru with a British woman is making rounds on social media. Let’s verify this claim through this fact-checking article.
Claim: The photograph is an intimate real-life capture of Jawaharlal Nehru and a British woman.
Fact: Contrary to the viral claim, the photograph is not a real-life capture but a still from a London-based theatre play, ‘Drawing the Line,’ produced by Hampstead Theatre. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To determine the validity of the claim associated with the alleged photograph of Nehru, we undertook a reverse image search. This search led us to the Hampstead Theatre’s official website and the original photograph.
Consequently, we found that the viral image is, in fact, a desaturated and cropped version of an original photograph associated with the theatre play, ‘Drawing the Line.’
The play, directed by Howard Davies, is set during the 1947 partition of India and presents a storyline revolving around Cyril Radcliffe, tasked with marking the border dividing the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan. Obviously, the man in the photograph is not Jawaharlal Nehru but Silas Carson, an actor who portrayed Nehru in the theatre play.
To sum up, the photograph does not depict an intimate real-life moment of Jawaharlal Nehru. Instead, it is still captured from a theatre play, ‘Drawing the Line.’