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AI-generated images of Giant skulls are being falsely shared as real. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2024
A series (here, here, here) of images is making rounds on social media, claiming to show giant skulls and skeletons recently unearthed by archaeologists. This article aims to fact-check this claim.
Claim: Photos showing giant skulls unearthed by archaeologists.
Fact: The individuals in the viral photos display several deformities, a common characteristic in AI-generated images. Upon examination with an AI detection tool called ‘AI Classifier by Hive’, these images were identified as mostly AI-generated. There’s no supporting evidence in the form of news reports or research papers to lend credibility to the stories associated with the viral photos. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
A detailed narrative associated with one of these viral images states that researchers from the University of Exeter and the Ethiopian Authority for Research and Conservation of the Cultural Heritage discovered a long-forgotten metropolis in the Harlan area of Eastern Ethiopia, known as the ancient ‘City of Giants’ established in the 10th century BC.
A quick Google search revealed that such a discovery was made in 2017 (here, here, and here). However, the detailed narrative associated with this viral post either excludes or incorrectly mentions several aspects of this discovery.
According to a BBC news report, a forgotten city dating as far back as the 10th century AD was uncovered in Eastern Ethiopia. However, while a local myth suggested giants once inhabited the region, this claim was debunked by the researchers. None of the news reports on this discovery featured images of oversized giant skulls.
As for the other two viral images (here and here), each associated with their speculative stories, none present credible scientific evidence. Notably, the creators of these stories acknowledge the speculative nature of their claims, offering no credible scientific evidence to support them. None of these images or stories about the giant skulls unearthed by archaeologists have credible evidence in the form of news reports or scientific research papers.
The three viral images displaying unnaturally enormous skulls feature several human deformities, a common feature in AI-generated imagery.
A suspicion that these images might have been artificially created led to their examination through the AI content detection tool ‘AI Classifier by Hive’. The results suggested that these images are highly likely to have been AI-generated.
While AI detection tools are not always completely accurate, the lack of any credible scientific evidence of such a discovery made by archaeologists recently, coupled with the absence of mainstream media coverage, strongly suggests that the viral photos were likely created using artificial intelligence or other digital art tools.
In the past, too, when such similar photos of the so-called giant skulls went viral on social media, factly debunked them. You can see the articles published by us here and here.
To sum up, the viral photos of giant skulls allegedly unearthed by archaeologists are most likely digitally created or AI-generated images with no authentic scientific backing.

created: February 15, 2024


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AI-generated images passed off as Imran Khan's leaked images post his arrest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 11, 2023
A video on social media contains two photographs of the former PM of Pakistan, Imran Khan, with a post description that reads ‘ Khan right now, leaked photographs.‘ According to the post, which is being shared in the context of the former cricket star’s arrest (here and here) by Pakistan’s NAB (National Accountability Bureau), these are the leaked photos of Khan’s after the arrest. Let’s verify the authenticity of these photos through this article.
Claim: Leaked photos of Imran Khan post his arrest.
Fact: These two photos are created using an AI tool. None of the media reports after Khan’s arrest claimed these images as the ones shot post his arrest. In the first photo reported by media outlets after his arrest, he is seen wearing a dress similar to the one he wore during his arrest and not a white dress as seen in the viral photos. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
On first look, it can be observed that the photos in the viral video carry a watermark that reads ‘ exclusive by midjourney,’ an AI tool that generates images based on text prompts. This is validated by a report by India Today from 10 May 2023 which contains a cropped version of one of the viral photos. The news report states that the AI tool midjourney generated it.
To know more about the photos, we performed a reverse image search using Google and found a post by a Facebook user named Feroz Waxir that contains the viral photos. These photos also carry the same watermark indication that they are AI-generated.
A keyword search on the internet revealed that Imran Khan was presented in a court in Islamabad which was the first time he was pictured after his arrest. Pakistani media outlet Geo News obtained this photo which can be seen below.
Khan ‘can be seen sitting on a chair in Islamabad’s Police Lines where a temporary accountability court has been setup for his case,’ Geo News reported. He is seen wearing a dress similar to the one that he was wearing during his arrest. A few more news reports which contain the same image can be seen here and here.
With this information, it is clear that the images seen in the viral post are not the ones filmed after Khan’s arrest. A few abnormalities in these images are common (here and here) with AI-generated images, and reveal that they are unreal. AI-generated images of humans sometimes have an incorrect number of fingers, toes and, in some cases, have body parts with disproportionate sizes, which is commonly noticed in AI images.
In the second photo that appears in the viral video, the left foot of Mr Khan has seven toes which he doesn’t have in real life.
In the following photo, you can see that he has just five toes on his left leg.
In the first photo, you can see that there is no gap between his hands which he is holding together.
To sum up, the photos in the post are not the images of Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan that were leaked after his arrest.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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AI generated photos falsely shared as real photos shot during the construction of the Great Pyramids. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 27, 2023
A series of photos allegedly taken during the construction of the Great Pyramids in Egypt is being shared on social media. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: These images were taken by the Pharaoh Government during the construction of the Great Pyramids.
False: These are photos generated by Artificial intelligence tools. The pyramids in Giza, Egypt were built around 2500 BC, almost 4000 years before photography was invented. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly, a quick search on the internet revealed that the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, were built from 2550 to 2490 B.C. Furthermore, searching for photographs taken during their construction did not lead to any reliable evidence to prove the claim that the viral photos were taken during the construction of the Great Pyramids.
Photography was invented (here and here) in the 19th century, more than 4000 years after the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza. There is also no credible evidence to prove the existence of photographic devices during the period when the pyramids were built. This makes it clear that it would have been practically impossible to take the photos of the construction of Pyramids and the photos claiming to be them are fake.
Furthermore, to check the origins of the viral photos, we performed a reverse image search but we could not find the source for it. Upon suspicion that these could have been generated using Artificial Intelligence, we ran these images through the Hive AI generator tool, which tells whether a given image is AI or not, it declared that these three images were generated using AI. This validated our doubts that these are AI-generated images.
To sum up, these photos were not taken during the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza.

created: November 27, 2023


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Air show by Italian Air Force shared as France’s farewell to Rafale in Indian Flag colours - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 5, 2020
A post with a video claiming to be that of France’s farewell to Rafale in Indian tricolours is doing rounds on social media. Through this article lets verify the claim made in the post.
France’s farewell to Rafale in Indian tricolours.
Fact: The video was shot at Altare della Patria building in Rome (Italy). Also, the tricolours in the video represent the Italian flag, not the Indian flag. The air show in the video is a demonstration by the aerobatic team of Italian Air Force called ‘Freece Tricolor’ (Tricolor Arrows) and it usually takes place on the Republic Day of Italy. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we subjected the screenshots of the video to Google reverse image search, we found that the air show in the video is by the aerobatic team of Italian Air Force called ‘Freece Tricolori’ (Tricolor Arrows) and is usually organized on the Republic Day of Italy. Few more pictures of ‘Freece Tricolori’ can be seen here. The three colours (Green, White, Red) in the ‘Freece Colori’ represent the Italian flag.
When we searched on YouTube using the keywords ‘Italian Air Force tricolori Altae Della Patria’ many videos like the one in the post popped up. One such video can be seen here. With this, we can conclude that the video is related to Italian Republic Day celebrations and has nothing to do with France and Rafale.
Flag of Italy:
Similar news, attributing the video to that of Indian Independence Day celebrations at Trafalgar Square, London was debunked by FACTLY earlier, which can be read here.
To sum it up, air show video of the Italian Air Force is being falsely shared as the farewell to Rafale by France in Indian tricolours.
Did you watch our new video?

created: August 5, 2020


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‘Airwaves Scam’ by DTH operators and the ‘silent’ Government
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 24, 2015
The entry of Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators into the television arena has significantly changed the urban landscape. They attract customers with a variety of offers. But are they following the law of the land? While a PIL in the Delhi High Court comes for hearing later this month against the private DTH operators, here is a look at the issue in detail with the list of violations.
On 29 of this month (July 2015), Delhi High Court slated its next hearing in a PIL against all private DTH operators and the Central Government.
What is DTH?
Direct-to-Home (DTH) technology enables direct beaming of broadcast signals to television sets of customers. Presently, there are seven DTH service providers in the country, six in private sector – Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital, Reliance Digital, Videocon D2H & Sun Direct and one by Doordarsan – DD Free Dish. As per TRAI, by the end of 2014, India has around 73 million private DTH subscribers, out of which 40 million are active.
The important regulations that govern DTH services are:
If one observes closely, there are several violations and exploitative practices by private DTH operators which amount to gross misuse of ‘air waves’, a public property. Despite acknowledging the serious breaches on record, the government is ‘silent’ without any action on DTH companies. Below is a list of such violations.
‘Default’ ad channels by DTH operators illegal
As per the very preamble of ‘Policy Guidelines for Downliking of Television Channels’ notified by the government, “…no person/entity shall downlink a channel, which has not been registered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under these guidelines…” Further, clause 6.7 of terms and conditions under Guidelines for obtaining license for providing Direct-to-Home (DTH) Broadcasting Service in India, 2007 mandates: “No licensee shall carry or include in his DTH Service any television broadcast or channel which has not been registered by the Central Government…”.
From the above, it is crystal clear that the DTH operators are licensed only for carriage / distribution of channels duly registered with Central Government. Despite this, all private DTH operators are merrily broadcasting their ‘own’ channels with 24/7 ads, self-promotional messages and teleshopping spots. These ‘default/home’ channels which start as soon as one turns on TV/Set Top Box (STB), have no registration or whatsoever with the Government. Some DTH operators went a step ahead and programmed their STB’s in such a way that the remote control device is made defunct for first few seconds so that the customer is forced to watch the ‘default’ ad.
Extract from Dish TV brochure for prospective advertisers
Screenshot from Tata Sky default channel 100
Unauthorised ‘Value Added Services’ (VAS)
Apart from the basic licensed activity, i.e., carriage of registered TV channels, any other service, facility or communication through DTH platform constitutes ‘Value-added Service’. Examples include the interactive services like Movie on Demand (MOD), games, puzzles, facilities like Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) etc. To ensure that these interactive/on-demand services do not trespass into the domain of regular broadcasting, article 10.1 of terms and conditions under DTH Guidelines mandates for obtaining specific license for provision of ‘value-added services’. For an RTI query seeking details of any such specific licences granted till date to any of the DTH operators, the answer given by Ministry of I&B is ‘NIL’, thereby implying that all the value added services presently offered by DTH operators are unlicensed and hence illegal.
Illustrative screenshot from Tata Sky active service – ‘Smart Games’
Illustrative screenshot from Airtel Digital ‘Free Movies’ Channel
Irritating ‘pop-up’ ads blocking screen – Violation of right to privacy
All DTH operators are inserting ads and other unsolicited self-promotional messages blocking the TV screen, e.g., unsolicited ‘pop-up’ ads through yellow mail box icons, continuous ‘L-shaped’ ads in movie-on-demand channels, inserting ads/images in Electronic Programme Guide, settings screen etc., display of DTH brand logo on corner of TV screen etc. This rampant practice is adversely affecting the viewing experience of millions of DTH customers who are already harassed with distracting ‘part-screen’ ads and scrolls in regular TV channels. This is not only a gross violation of Advertisement Code (Rule 7(10)), but tramples upon audience’ ‘right to privacy’. It is pertinent to observe here that TRAI, which framed elaborate provisions to regulate Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC) in telecommunications, has miserably failed in laying down similar regulations in case of cable and broadcasting sector.
Another key provision of Advertisement Code (Rule 7(11)) mandates that no TV channel can carry advertisements exceeding twelve minutes per hour. While carriage of their own channels itself is illegal, the DTH operators are airing continuous ads on 24/7 basis, thus making an open mockery of the said ‘12-minute’ rule.
Illustrative screenshot from ‘Airtel Digital’ service – Menu Screen
Extracts from Dish TV brochure for prospective advertisers
TRAI’s fence-sitter approach
In 2009, based on a reference from Ministry of I&B, TRAI issued a consultation paper seeking views of stakeholders precisely on all the above issues relating to DTH. In response, the stakeholders including some broadcasters and DTH operators gave their comments. Some of the DTH operators as part of their comments acknowledged the present restrictions barring DTH operators from broadcasting their own ‘linear’ channels, FM Radio and interfering with broadcasters’ feed by inserting ads in EPG etc. However, these consultations proved inconclusive as TRAI, for some unknown reason, didn’t release any recommendations on the issues for next 5 years.
Last year, in June 2014, TRAI issued another ‘mega’ consultation paper titled, “Consultation paper on regulatory framework for platform services”. This time, it sought comments on
(i) registration of ‘local/ground-based’ channels run by cable operators and
(ii) legal implications in case of all Distribution Platform Operators (DPO’s), viz., DTH, HITS, IPTV etc., if they were to be allowed to transmit their own channels and services. Though TRAI acknowledged that ‘channels which are being operated by DTH operators need to be registered’ (Para 1.26), it chose not to acknowledge the ongoing illegality involved in DTH operators carrying their own channels. Broadcasters like Star TV and Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) vehemently opposed TRAI’s proposal to allow DTH operators to carry their own channels which will do away with the traditional distinction between ‘content’ and ‘carriage’ saying that it would ‘irreparably harm content providers like broadcasters’. TRAI gave its recommendations in November 2014 putting forth several conditions and legal requirements before allowing DPO’s to transmit their own channels/services. It remains to be seen when the Ministry of I&B, known for its policy paralysis takes a final view on changing rules based on these recommendations.
PIL in Delhi High Court
‘MediaWatch-India’ the organization which the author of this article represents, filed specific complaints in 2014 with Ministry of I&B to issue show cause notices to all private DTH companies for above irregularities. Violation of terms and conditions under DTH guidelines attracts a penalty of upto Rs. 50 Crore (Art. 20). As Ministry failed to initiate any action, in December, 2014, a Public Interest Litigation was filed in Delhi High Court (WP(C) 9400/2014). During the latest hearing, some DTH operators raised a pointless objection that TRAI has recently released its recommendations on the subject. While the issue raised is about violation of ‘EXISTING’ rules, the DTH operators are citing TRAI’s recommendations to Govt. which are about making changes to the DTH policy in FUTURE. Next Hearing is on 29of this month.(July 2015).
Ministry of I&B acknowledges violations but ‘silent’
Copies of file notings recently obtained under RTI Act revealed that Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did conclude in unambiguous terms that the DTH companies are in clear breach of clauses 6.7 and 10.1 of DTH guidelines by broadcasting their own channels.
Here is what the top officials in the Ministry of I&B have noted:
“…DTH operators are not allowed to transmit any program or any channel on their own as they are merely carriage platforms for re-transmitting permitted channels. Thus, carrying of any channel/programme which is generated by DTH operator amounts to violation of 6.7 of the DTH license agreement. In doing so, DTH operators become broadcasters, thereby violating cross-holding restrictions enjoined in the DTH guidelines. …(KS Regimon, Director, BP&L DT. 18-7-2014)…
I agree. Kindly put up an advisory in two days. Please also simultaneously seek self-certified reports that they are not violating provisions in cl. 6.7 and 10.1. (Supriya Sahu, Joint secretary (Broadcasting) DT. 18-7-2014)
Curiously, after the above vital remarks in the file, the note sheet went ‘blank’ for reasons best known to the Ministry. For a query under RTI Act for subsequent file notings and whether the JS (Broadcasting)’s instruction to issue advisory was implemented, Director, BP&L section gave a reply: “no such information is available on the records…”!
‘Air Waves’ Scam
Supreme Court in the landmark ‘Air Waves’ case held that electro-magnetic waves are ‘public property’ and “No individual has a right to utilize them at his choice and pleasure and for purposes of his choice including profit. The airwaves can be used by a citizen for the purpose of broadcasting only when allowed to do so by a statute and in accordance with such statute.”
Seen from this perspective, all the above illegalities by private DTH companies for last many years amount to what can be aptly called as ‘Air Waves Scam’. As there is no pressure from any quarter – the public, media or government, the DTH companies are merrily making a fast buck by openly flouting the law and exploiting millions of TV consumers. As the government brazenly chose to side with DTH lobby, judiciary is the only hope for now!


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Ajit Doval did not tweet about POK, he has no official Twitter account - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 29, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister of India, had said via Twitter, ‘”POK” is Part of “INDIA” And We Will Take it Soon.!!’. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ajit Doval tweeted ‘”POK” is Part of “INDIA” And We Will Take it Soon.!!’.
Fact: Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India has no official Twitter account, therefore, he could not have made any tweets by himself. There are no recent news articles regarding any such statement made by Ajit Doval on POK. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India has no official Twitter account, hence he could not have made any tweets by himself. When we searched for @AjitDoval_Ind Twitter account mentioned in the post, it has been found that it is a ‘Fan Account’, and not his official Twitter account. The purported tweet that was shared in the post could not be found on this account. So, this tweet could have either been deleted or been morphed.
We searched for any recent news articles regarding any statement made by Ajit Doval on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and found none. A Hindustan Times article published on 09 May 2020 reports that the centre’s decision to ask television channels to include weather reports and forecasts for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) was conceived by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval “some time back” according to a top government official.
To sum it up, Ajit Doval did not make this tweet about POK, he has no official twitter account.


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Akhilesh Yadav did meet Hindu Sants and Sadhus even before 2017 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2022
A photo collage comparing Akhilesh Yadav’s pictures with Muslim clerics and Hindu seers is being shared through a post claiming that Akhilesh Yadav met Hindu seers only after the Yogi Adityanath government came into power. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo collage proving that Akhilesh Yadav met Hindu seers only after the Yogi Adityanath government came into power in UP.
Fact: Though it is true that these pictures of Akhilesh Yadav with Muslim clerics and Hindu seers were taken before and after the formation of Yogi Adithyanath led BJP government in UP respectively; Akhilesh Yadav did meet Hindu Sants and Sadhus when he was the Chief Minister of UP.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the photo collage, Akhilesh Yadav’s picture with the Muslim clerics was found in an article published in 2017; Akhilesh Yadav’s picture with the Hindu seers was found in his tweet posted in 2021. The Muslim clerics met Akhilesh Yadav in February 2017 before the state assembly elections in UP to express their support. The Hindu seers were clicked with Akhilesh Yadav as he posted Diwali wishes.
Though it is true that these pictures of Akhilesh Yadav with Muslim clerics and Hindu seers were taken before and after the formation of Yogi government in UP respectively; Akhilesh Yadav did meet Hindu Sants and Sadhus when he was the Chief Minister of UP. In a tweet posted on 29 November 2016 from the official Twitter account of Akhilesh Yadav, it can be seen that he met with Hindu Sants and Sadhus to discuss the ‘mela at Prayag’.
Met with a delegation of Sants and Sadhus to discuss the upcoming mela at Prayag. pic.twitter.com/ZaShB63fgS
In the run-up to the UP state elections, it has been alleged that the Samajwadi Party is being silent on Muslim issues. Polling for the UP State Assembly elections 2022 is going to start from 10 February 2022, as announced by the Election Commission.
To sum it up, Akhilesh Yadav did meet Hindu Sants and Sadhus even before 2017.

created: January 12, 2022


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Akhilesh Yadav did not make this tweet likening himself to 'Ravan' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 22, 2022
An image of an alleged tweet by Akhilesh Yadav is being shared widely on social media. It is claimed that Akhilesh Yadav likened himself to Ravan in the context of Aparna Yadav joining the BJP. Let’s fact-check this claim.
Claim: Akhilesh Yadav’s tweet likening himself to ‘Ravan’ in the context of Aparna Yadav joining the BJP.
Fact: This alleged tweet is not made by Akhilesh Yadav. His official verified Twitter handle is @yadavakhilesh whereas the tweet was made from a handle @akhileshyadav which is now suspended. Since a fake tweet is being attributed to him, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
One can see that the tweet was made by the handle – ‘@akhileshyadav’. When we looked for it, it is found that the handle is suspended now. Also, the official Twitter handle of Akhilesh Yadav is – ‘@yadavakhilesh’, not ‘@akhileshyadav’. In the posted photo, the tweet is dated – ’19 Jan 2022’. So, when we searched whether that tweet was made by – ‘@yadavakhilesh’ (his official handle) on that date, no such tweet is found to be made by him.
Akhilesh Yadav’s reaction to Aparna Yadav joining BJP can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, the tweet in the posted picture likening himself to ‘Ravan’ is not made by Akhilesh Yadav. The Twitter handle mentioned in the post is not the official Twitter handle of Akhilesh Yadav and is suspended now.

created: January 22, 2022


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Akhilesh Yadav promised Babri Masjid at Ayodhya Ram Mandir location? No, it’s an edited tweet's photo - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 23, 2021
A photo of a tweet allegedly made by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav is being shared on social media. In the tweet, it is written – ‘If our government is formed in Uttar Pradesh, then we promise our Muslim brothers that we will build Babri Masjid in the same place where Ram Mandir is being constructed currently’ (English translation). Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Akhilesh Yadav’s tweet promising the construction of Babri Masjid in the place of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya if his party forms the government in UP.
Fact: Akhilesh Yadav has not made the tweet in the photo. It is an edited one. The text of the tweet is not properly aligned. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for such a tweet on the official Twitter handle of Akhilesh Yadav, no such tweet was found to be made by him. If such a tweet was made by him and existed on the handle for at least 17 hours (as mentioned in the photo), either somebody would have archived the tweet, or news agencies would have reported about the tweet. But we neither found any archived versions of the tweet nor any news reports regarding the tweet.
Also, the alignment of the text in the image is not right. In the below photo, the text in the posted tweet goes onto the red line whereas the text in his original tweets (tweet format in the mobile version) perfectly aligns with the line.
A 2020 video of Akhilesh Yadav, saying that he will visit the Ayodhya Ram Mandir with his wife and children can be seen here. When similar posts went viral in Telugu last month, FACTLY has written a fact-check article, which can be read here.
To sum it up, an edited photo of a tweet is being falsely shared to claim that Akhilesh Yadav promised Babri Masjid at Ayodhya Ram Mandir location, if his party comes to power.


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Akhilesh Yadav’s call for Yogya sarkar in UP is misconstrued as Yogi sarkar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2022
A social media post claiming that Akhilesh Yadav made a statement that Yogi government will be formed in the state is being widely shared. The post accompanies a video of Akhilesh Yadav speaking in a public meeting to substantiate the claim. Through this article, let’s fact-check the authenticity of the video shared in the post.
Claim: Video of Akhilesh Yadav saying Yogi government will be formed in the state.
Fact: In the viral speech, Akhilesh Yadav calls for Yogya (competent) sarkar and not Yogi Sarkar. He has been using the line ‘yogya sarkar’ in UP (not Yogi Sarkar) in his speeches for quite some time. This call for Yogya Sarkar is misconstrued as Yogi Sarkar. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
At the top right corner of the viral video, we can spot ‘Headlines India’ logo. Taking a cue from this, internet search with relevant keywords led us to the full-length video on Headlines India Facebook page from which the viral clip is extracted. This full-length video was shared on 02 January 2022.
55 seconds into the video, we can hear Akhilesh Yadav saying exactly the same words as in the viral video. Akhilesh Yadav’s words in Hindi, which loosely translates ‘I would like to request you, if Uttar Pradesh is to be taken on a prosperous/happy path, a competent (yogya) government is to be formed, only then will Uttar Pradesh go on the path of prosperity.’
From this video, it is clearly evident that the Hindi word योग्य/yogya in Akhilesh’s speech is misconstrued as Yogi/योगी and being shared as Akhilesh wishing the formation of Yogi Adityanath government in the state since Yogi Adityanath is also known as Yogi.
Moreover, this is not the first time Akhilesh used the word ‘yogya sarkar/gov’. He has been using this as a wordplay in his political rallies for quite some time. A few examples where Akhilesh called for a yogya Sarkar and not Yogi sarkar in the state can be viewed here, here, and here.
Even in the Gorakhpur Vijay Yatra speech, Akhilesh Yadav called for yogya Sarkar and not Yogi sarkar in the state. From all these, it is clearly evident that Akhilesh Yadav’s speech is misconstrued and a false message is being shared.
To sum it up, Akhilesh’s call for Yogya sarkar in the state is misconstrued as Yogi sarkar.

created: January 19, 2022


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Al Kabeer Exports is owned by a Muslim Family - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 13, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media platforms claiming that the Indian meat exporting company Al Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd. is a Hindu-owned company, and no Muslim has a share in it. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Indian meat exporting company Al Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd. is a Hindu-owned company, and no Muslim has a share in it.
Fact: Al Kabeer group was started in 1970s by Subberwal and Ghulam Shaikh families with 50:50 partnership. Later when the group expanded, Ghulamuddin M. Sheikh become the owner of the Indian company Al Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd. The company’s slaughterhouse in Hyderabad is under the charge of Asif Ghulamuddin and Arshad Siddiqui. Moreover, the company’s website says that it doesn’t slaughter cows, bulls, and bullocks, but just buffaloes. Also, Atul Subberwal is the Managing director for SAHAR Enterprises of Al Kabeer Group. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We first searched the internet about this company and came across an old Economic Times article published in 2007. According to this, this company was started in 1970s by Subberwal and Ghulam Shaikh familes with a 50:50 partnership.
According to the company’s website, the Group evolved into a multi-dimensional, multi product business with offices, processing units and cold storages in all over the world. They also published a clarification stating that Al Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd., a part of Al Kabeer group, is an Indian Company which exports mutton and beef from India is owned by Ghulamuddin M.Shaikh.
The Hyderabad slaughterhouse operations are under the charge of Asif Ghulamuddin and Arshad Siddiqui. The company doesn’t slaughter cows, bulls, and bullocks but just slaughters buffaloes in accordance with local statutes and Government of India’s export policy. The same information is presented in this video.
Also, according to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ website, the directors of ‘AL KABEER EXPORTS PRIVATE LIMITED’ are Shabbir Amir Shaik, Asif Ghulamuddin Shaikh, Arshad Salar Siddiqui, Kuldip Singh Brar, Pushkar Deepak Apte, Altaf Ghulamuddin Shaikh. Additionally, we also found the interview of Atul Subberwal, Managing Director for SAHAR enterprises of Al Kabeer Group.
To sum it up, Al Kabeer Pvt. Ltd which operates the slaughterhouse at Hyderabad is owned by a Muslim family.

created: October 13, 2022


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Alambagh bus terminal image is falsely shared as that built by MIM party in Hyderabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 24, 2020
A post with an image claiming to be that of a bus terminal built by AIMIM party in Hyderabad is doing rounds on social media. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Image of a bus terminal built by AIMIM party in Hyderabad.
Fact: The image in the post is of Alambagh bus terminal in Lucknow. The bus terminal was redeveloped as a pilot project under the state government initiative to develop the bus stands owned by the state road transport in public-private partnership. The bus station has nothing to do with Hyderabad and AIMIM party. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the image in the post led us to an article dated 04-10-2018 by smart cities council India in which the same image is featured. According to the article, the image is of Alambagh bus terminal in Lucknow, UP which was redeveloped as a pilot project under the state government initiative to develop the bus stands owned by the state road transport in public-private partnership.
Taking a cue from here, when we searched on google with the keywords ‘Alambagh bus terminal’, we found few news articles which reported this bus terminal. According to one such news article, the bus station was inaugurated on 13 June 2018 by the UP CM Yogi Adityanath. News video reporting this inauguration can be watched here.
Few more images of the bus terminal can be seen here. The image shared in the post can also be found in the images of Alambagh Bus Stand uploaded on Google. It mentions that the image was captured in June 2018.
To sum it up, the image of Alambagh bus terminal in Lucknow is falsely shared as the bus terminal built by AIMIM party in Hyderabad.
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Ali Fazal’s old tweet in support of CAA protests is being shared with a misleading claim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 8, 2020
A post with an image of a tweet by actor Ali Fazal celebrating the Delhi riots is being shared widely on social media. The alleged tweet has the image of IB officer Ankit Sharma’s dead body being pulled out of a drain who was stabbed during the Delhi riots. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ali Fazal’s tweet celebrating Delhi riots. The tweet also shares the image of IB officer Ankit Sharma’s dead body being pulled out of a drain.
Fact: The tweet mentioned in the post is made by the actor in support of the CAA protests back in December 2019. He did not tweet this in the light of Delhi riots or the death of the IB officer as both incidents took place in February 2020. Also, the actor did not share any image along with the tweet. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Upon an internet search, we found the archived version of a tweet by Ali Fazal with the same text as in the post. However, the tweet did not carry any image of the dead body of the IB officer and the tweet dates back to 19 December 2019. This shows that he indeed tweeted the same text, but he did not tweet this celebrating the Delhi riots as the Delhi communal riots took place in February 2020.
However, the actor deleted the tweet later. In reply to a twitter user for the deletion of his tweet in the wake of CAA protests, Ali Fazal reasoned his tweet might be used by miscreants to mislead the vulnerable social media users.
To sum it up, Ali Fazal’s tweet was in support of CAA protests but not in celebration of the death of IB officer who was killed during the Delhi riots.

created: October 8, 2020


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Aligarh Muslim University held a candle march for Pulwama attacks as well - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 16, 2019
Facebook and Twitter is abuzz with posts after Aligarh Muslim University held a candle march protesting against New Zealand shooting. These posts question that where were they when the Pulwama attacks happened and claiming that they are only concerned only when their religion is involved. Let’s analyze the truth in their claims. The archived version of a post can be found here.
Aligarh Muslim University held a candle march protesting against New Zealand shooting but not for Pulwama attacks.
While it is true that Aligarh Muslim University held a candle march protesting against New Zealand shooting, a simple look at their twitter handle will indicate that they also did the same after the Pulwama attacks as well. Hence the claim made in the post is
As per this article published by ANI, Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) took out a candle march in the university campus to provide a tribute to the people who lost their lives in the Christchurch terror attack. A simple look at their twitter handle indicate that they did a similar candle march after the Pulwama attacks as well. A Google search also provides articles and videos which mention AMU condolences and deep sympathies with the families of killed CRPF personnel.
Finally, Aligarh Muslim University held a candle march protesting against violence in both Chirstchurch shooting and Pulwama attacks. Hence the claim that they did not protest against Pulwama attacks is False.
Update (18th March 2019): We spoke with Prof. M Shafey Kidwai from Public Relations Office of AMU who stated that the student union has carried out the candle march for Pulwama attacks on the same day and AMU administration condemning the Pulwama attack is also mentioned in their official website.


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All about Narendra Modi's Domestic Visits
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 30, 2018
Most people know about & follow the foreign visits of the Prime Minister. But what about his domestic visits? Here is a detailed analysis of Narendra Modi’s domestic visits in the last 4 years based on data on the Prime Minister’s official website.
Data Analysis by Surya Kandukuri & Rakesh Dubbudu


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All about the important research studies in India about COVID-19
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 23, 2020
In addition to identification, isolation & treatment of COVID-19 infected persons, research has an important role to play in planning & strategizing government’s response to the pandemic. Here is a summary of some important research studies published by the Indian Journal of Medical Research.
The COVID-19epidemic is caused by a new strain of Coronavirus which was not detectedearlier in Human beings. Coronavirus are a large group of viruses which causeillness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases. A novel
strain of Coronavirus was identified to be the cause ofpneumonia cases detected in Wuhan, China. This Coronavirus was temporarilynamed as ‘2019-nCov’. The disease is now referred to as COVID-19 (CoronaVirus Disease -2019).
The initial research suggests that it has zoonotic origins i.e originating from animals, and could be a bat-borne virus. Since it is a new type of virus, there is a lot of research being carried out across the world to understand the nature of the virus, origins of its transmission to humans, the structure of it, possible cure/vaccine to treat COVID-19 etc. India is also part of these research efforts.
In this story, we take a look at few of the interesting and important research being carried out in India with respect to COVID-19. We have referred to the research articles published on ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)’s Indian Journal of Medical Research.
SARI
patients with no record of international travel or contact with infected
persons tested positive for COVID-19
Theresources required to test India’s huge population for possible cases ofCOVID-19 is immense since the availability of the resources like testing kits,labs, personnel etc. is limited. Hence it is important to optimize testing bydeveloping strategies to identify potential cases who have a higher chance ofbeing infected.
As per the research article titled, ‘Severe acute respiratory surveillance for coronavirus disease 2019, India,2020’, the objective of the research was based on the pretext that surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) patients can help in identifying the spread and the transmission of the COVID-19.
SARIpatients who were admitted across 41 sentinel sites were tested for COVID-19.As per the analysis of the data extracted from ‘Virus Research and DiagnosticLaboratory Network’ (VRDL),
Another article on IJMR, recommends active surveillance of symptomatic patients in view of the challenges involved in testing the huge population of India.
24-hour working model for testing can increase the testing capacity
Aggressive testing to understand the spread of infection is suggested as one of the more effective ways of containing the spread of the virus. Some of the countries at the forefront of tackling COVID-19 have been conducting a higher number of tests. This research is important in the context of India, which is still not testing at the level of other countries. It helps devise an optimal testing strategy to effectively identify the spread of the virus.
A study was conducted to explore the interventions needed to increase the daily testing capacity for COVID-19 in India.  For this, a potential increase in daily testing capacity in the existing public laboratories was calculated in three different shifts – 9 hrs., 16 hrs. & 24 hrs.
Interventionswhich were identified for increasing the capacity included – Procurement ofadditional qRT-PCR machines, leveraging the capacity of the current availablemachines, optimizing the in-laboratory processes etc.
The studyprojected the following based on available infrastructure:
However, toincrease the testing capacity there is also a need to increase the procurementof the various commodities like testing kits, swabs, extraction kits etc. Thestudy has also projected the volume of these commodities that India needs toprocure over the next few months.
Distinct
clusters of Coronaviruses found in few species of Bats found in India
Few pieces of research suggest that the strain of Coronavirus which has caused COVID-19 is transmitted to humans through bats. There have been earlier instances of virus transmission through bats.
A research study was conducted to assess the presence of Coronaviruses (CoVs) in the bats that are found in India.  The identification of bat CoV was carried on two bat species – Pteropus .medius & Rousettus, found in few Indian states. The bat samples were screened from seven states. For this:
In theRousettus species of Bats, 4 out of 78 RS were found to be positive, all ofwhich belong to the state of Kerala. The intestinal specimen of two bats wasfound positive. While all the TS reported negative for any of the CoronaViruses.
Even in the case of Pteropus. species of Bats, all the Throat Swabs (TS) tested negative whereas 21 of the 508 RS were found to be positive. Next-Generation Sequencing and further analysis showed that the CoVs retrieved from these bats form a distinct cluster to that of the CoVs which are known to cause human infection.
Mathematical models indicate the need for Public Health interventions to contain the spread of COVID-19 epidemic.
The rapidspread of COVID-19 across the world has created an unprecedented situation.With a vaccine yet to be developed and no conclusive clarity on the treatmentmethods, the only approach being suggested is to contain the spread.
A research study has highlighted the impact of proactive intervention in mitigating the spread of the virus through human-human transmission.  The main objective of the study was to identify the possibility to prevent or delay the local outbreaks of COVID-19 through quarantining and other containment methods.
Mathematical models of infectious disease transmission were used for the study. An optimistic and pessimistic scenario were projected based on the data available.
The models indicate that modest delays can be gained by identifying the symptomatic cases based on the travel history and at the port-of-entry screening etc.
Featured Image: COVID 19 research studies in India


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All households in the state are eligible for Karnataka’s Gruha Jyothi scheme. Viral stipulations are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 12, 2023
A social media post claiming that the Karnataka Congress government has set multiple requirements to qualify for the free electricity scheme is doing rounds on social media platforms. Alleging that these conditions are not advantageous for the underprivileged, it emphasizes that individuals must meet certain criteria, such as not owning any land, not having any two-wheeler or four-wheeler vehicles, and not having their children enrolled in private schools, in order to be eligible for the scheme. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Karnataka Congress government has set multiple requirements to qualify for the free electricity scheme.
Fact: Karnataka government has announced to roll out the scheme from 01 July 2023 and will be reflected in the bills of power consumers from the month of August 2023. However, contrary to the claim made in the viral post, all residential consumers within the state are eligible for the scheme. Even tenants living in rented houses are also eligible for the scheme. Government did not stipulate any conditions like not owning land or vehicles to avail the scheme. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Congress party, in its manifesto has promised to provide 200 units of free electricity to households in Karnataka. Following the election victory, in its first cabinet meeting the Congress government has granted in-principle approval to the Gruha Jyothi scheme.
Subsequently, the government has announced to roll out the scheme from 01 July 2023 which will be reflected in the bills of power consumers from the month of August 2023. However, contrary to the claim made in the viral post, all residential consumers within the state are eligible for the scheme.
Gruha Jyothi Scheme:
The scheme’s explanatory document explicitly states that there are no specific conditions (like owning land, vehicles, etc) imposed by the government for accessing the scheme. It is clearly mentioned that all residential consumers within the state are eligible for the scheme. Even tenants living in rented houses are also eligible for the scheme.
The registration process to avail of the scheme will commence on 15 July 2023. To avail of the scheme, individuals must register through the Seva Sindhu website. Offline applications are also an option.
As per the government, only one meter per household is eligible for the scheme and the benefit is calculated based on average consumption for Financial Year 2022-23 + 10% increase (total amounting to less than  200 units).
This implies that households consuming fewer units than the eligible average will receive a bill of 0, without any additional taxes or charges. For households consuming more than the eligible average but less than 200 units, they would be required to pay the bill amount along with a 9% tax. Those consuming over 200 units will not be eligible for the scheme and will have to pay the full bill amount.
To sum it up, all households within the state of Karnataka are eligible for Karnataka’s Gruha Jyothi scheme. Viral stipulations are fake.


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All Talk and Little Action - the sorry state of ‘Nirbhaya Fund’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 30, 2015
The UPA government announced the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ in the 2013-14 budget with an initial corpus of 1000 crore rupees, to be spent on women safety initiatives. This was one of the outcomes of massive public outcry after the Delhi Rape incident. Since then, 2000 crores have been added to the fund through 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets. But even with Rs 3000 crore to spend and 2 years of time, there is hardly any progress on ground. Not a single project has taken off and they are still in the deliberation stage.
The gruesome Delhi rape incident triggered quite a few policy changes. Apart from the Nirbhaya act, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has established ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ with an initial corpus of Rs. 1000 crore as per the budget announcement in 2013-14. The fund is to be used for women safety pertaining to the strategic areas of prevention, protection and rehabilitation. In subsequent years (2014-15 & 2015-16), an amount of Rs 1000 crore has been provided under this fund. Hence the total amount available is Rs 3000 crore. So how exactly is this money being used?
What is this fund and who controls it?
‘Nirbhaya Fund’ has been created to ensure dignity and safety of girl children and women. Nirbhaya Fund has been created as a corpus in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). As and when the schemes from Ministries/Departments are approved to be funded from ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ suitable allocations are done accordingly. A total amount of Rs.3,000 crore has been allocated to Nirbhaya Fund in the year 2013-2014, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
As per the existing guidelines, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been assigned as the nodal Ministry to utilize this fund. This nodal ministry can be approached by various Ministries/Departments or states with their proposals to be funded from Nirbhaya Fund. The nodal ministry is also in charge for the review and monitoring the progress of the schemes sanctioned under the fund. The Nodal Ministry will decide on the suitability of the proposal and refer the same to Department of Economic Affairs.
Has the Ministry received any proposal?
The ministry received proposals from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH). The Women and Child Development ministry (MWCD) also mooted a proposal.
Ministry of Home Affairs: MHA has envisaged the establishment of an integrated Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) platform for supporting Geographical Information System (GIS) based Call Taking and Global Positioning System (GPS) based Police vehicle dispatch function that will help to improve the efficiency in responding to women distress calls and provide speedy assistance. The Project is to be implemented in 114 identified cities, which includes 54 cities having a population of more than one million, cities which are the capitals of the States/UTs as well as headquarters of 41 highly crime prone districts. The project involves a total expenditure of Rs. 321.69 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal in February 2014 and sanctioned a total of Rs. 321.69 crore out of the Nirbhaya Fund. But there is nothing to show in terms of progress on ground.
West Bengal has the highest number of cities/districts (15) that will be covered under this project followed by Rajasthan(10), Andhra Pradesh (9), Kerala (8), Uttar Pradesh (8) and Telangana (7).
Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways: MoRTH is setting up of a unified system at the National Level (National Vehicle Security and Tracking System) and State level (City Command and Control Centre) for GPS tracking of the location of emergency buttons and video recording of incidents in public transport vehicles. In the first phase, 32 cities of 13 States in the country with a population of 1 million or more will be covered. Total estimated cost of the project is Rs. 1404.68 crore.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: MWCD also proposed two schemes i.e One Stop Centre for Women affected by violence with a total project cost of Rs. 18.58 crore and Scheme for Universalisation of Women Helpline with a total project cost Rs. 69.49 crore.
States & UTs: No State or UT sent a proposal except Karnataka & Kerala.
Both these proposals are yet to be approved by the MWCD.
Has any money been allocated?
An amount of Rs.150 crore has been allocated to MHA for the scheme to increase the safety of women in large cities (Schemes on backend integration of distress signal from victims with mobile vans and control rooms) and Rs. 50 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on pilot testing of scheme (Safety for Women on Public Road Transport). Both these allocations were made in 2014-15.
The proposals of the MWCD have also been approved to be funded from the financial year 2015-16.
What is the status of implementation?
There has been delay in the implementation of the project of MHA. Only preparatory activities have been initiated. A Project Management consultant has been appointed and discussions with States/UTs have been initiated. Other than this, there is no physical progress though the project was approved almost one and a half years ago.
A contract has been signed between MoRTH and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit Systems Ltd (DIMTS) to provide Project Management Consultancy for implementation of the project. Consultations have been started with the beneficiary States/ UTs in a phased manner for informing them the details of the Scheme and action required on their part for timely implementation of the Scheme. Like the MHA Project, there is little or no progress on ground.
The only swift progress is seen in the scheme floated by the MWCD. So far, sanction orders have been issued to 14 States/UTs to establish the one stop centers.
On the whole, there is very little progress on ground and there is hardly anything to show in terms of results. Unless these are expedited and are taken on a war footing, Women Safety will remain a dream for more years to come.
Featured Image Source: By Jim Ankan Deka (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


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All the 11 holidays in March 2021 do not apply to all the banks in all the States. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2021
A post is being shared on multiple platforms with a claim that banks will remain shut for 11 days in March 2021.  We have also received a similar message on our WhatsApp tipline (+91-92470 52470) to check the veracity of the message. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Banks will remain shut for 11 days in March 2021.
Fact: On the RBI website, five holidays are listed in addition to Saturdays (second and fourth) and Sundays in March 2021. But all the five holidays are not listed in all the regional offices. While 05 March 2021 is listed as a holiday only at Aizawl, 22 and 30 March 2021 are listed as holidays only at Patna. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On looking at the Holidays calendar on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) website, it can be observed that five holidays are listed, in addition to Saturdays (second and fourth) and Sundays. But it can be seen that all the five holidays are not listed in all the regional offices. In fact, not even one regional office has all the listed five holidays. While 05 March 2021 is listed as a holiday only at Aizawl, 22 and 30 March 2021 are listed as holidays only at Patna.
It should be noted that, in addition to the holidays,  ‘the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, gave a call for a two-day strike from March 15 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders’.
To sum it up, all the 11 holidays in March 2021 do not apply to all the banks in all the States.

created: February 26, 2021


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All the accused men in the Hyderabad Veterinary Rape-Murder case are not Muslims. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 5, 2019
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that all the accused men in the Hyderabad Veterinary Rape-Murder case are Muslims and three of them are minors. The article (Archived) given in the post mentions that Narsinghanand Saraswati has made the claim. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Narsinghanand Saraswati: ‘All the accused in the Hyderabad Rape are Muslims. The Police admit changing their names because three of them were minors.’
Fact: None of the accused is a minor. The police did not admit that they changed the names of the accused. Also, the names of the three accused Hindus were not made up. Their names can be found in their family’s ration cards. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Narsinghanand Saraswati has uploaded a couple of videos (video 1 and video 2) on his YouTube channel regarding the Hyderabad Veterinary Rape-Murder case. In both the videos, he claims that all the accused are Muslims. In the recent video, he also claims that the police made up the names of the three accused and showed them as Hindus to defame the religion. He claims that the names were made up because they were minors.
In the press conference held by the Cyberabad Police on the issue, the Commissioner of Police Mr Sajjanar gave the details of the accused. The same can be seen at 4 min: 10 seconds in the video. The details of the accused are:
All the accused members are adults. So, the question of changing their names does not arise. But, as the post claims that the Police has misled the people, FACTLY tried to find the official proof to establish that the names of the Hindu men were not made up. We looked at the names of their parents and the address to find official evidence for these men. FACTLY could find the ration cards of families of the three accused Hindu men on the Telangana Government website which can be seen below. The ration cards confirm that the names were not made up.
To sum it up, all the accused men in the Hyderabad Veterinary Rape-Murder case are not Muslims.
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created: December 5, 2019


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All the first five education ministers of India are not from the Muslim community - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 8, 2021
Sushil Kumar Modi, a Rajya Sabha MP, has posted on his social media profiles claiming that India’s first five education ministers are from the Muslim community. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: India’s first five education ministers are from the Muslim community.
Fact: The second person in the list of the first five Indian education ministers is Dr. K.L. Shrimali. He does not belong to the Muslim Community. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched for the details mentioned in the post, the list of India’s education ministers can be found on the website related to the Education Ministry. In the list, it can be seen that India’s first five education ministers (persons, not term-wise) are Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. K.L. Shrimali, Humayun Kabir, M.C. Chagla, and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. The exact details regarding their tenure can be read on the website. The information regarding those ministers can be also found in the ‘Council of Ministers 1947-2015’ document. The second person on the list, Dr. K.L. Shrimali, does not belong to the Muslim Community.
More information regarding Dr. K.L. Shrimali can be read here.
To sum it up, all the first five education ministers of India are not from the Muslim community.


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All the leaders in this meeting were provided chairs to sit, not just Sonia Gandhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 13, 2023
A post accompanied by an image claims that Sonia Gandhi disrespected former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other congress leaders by forcing them to stand while she was sitting in the only chair available in the room. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Sonia Gandhi disrespected former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other congress leaders by forcing them to stand.
Fact: This image was taken during a meeting when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) stamped their support for the creation of a separate Telangana state. Other visuals from the meeting confirm that Manmohan Singh and other leaders were also given chairs to sit in the meeting held in 2013. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the image, we found that various news reports published this image in 2013 (here, here, and here). This image was taken during a meeting when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) stamped their support for the creation of a separate Telangana state.
From the careful observation of the picture, it is evident that more than one chair was available in the room.
On further keyword search, we found that One India and Aaj Tak published the proceedings of the meeting in a sequence of a few pictures. From the pictures, it is clear that the other leaders were also seated in chairs.
To sum up, all the leaders in this meeting were provided chairs to sit, not just Sonia Gandhi.

created: September 13, 2023


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All the three transfers recommended by the SC collegium were notified, not just Justice Muralidhar’s transfer - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 28, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media that out of three transfers recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, only the transfer of Justice Muralidhar, who raised tough questions about the delay in registering FIR against alleged hate speeches preceding the Delhi riots, was notified by the government. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Out of three transfers recommended by the SC collegium, only Justice Muralidhar’s transfer was notified.
Fact: All the three transfers recommended by the SC collegium were notified on the same day i.e. on 26 February 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
About the transfer:
From the SC website, it is be found that the SC collegium, in its meeting held on 12 February 2020, has recommended the transfers of three High Court judges (Justice Muralidhar was one of them). The details can be seen below:
The notifications regarding the transfers of all the three judges were issued on the same day i.e. on 26 February 2020. All the three transfer orders (of Justice Muralidhar, Justice More, and Justice Malimath) can be found on the ‘Department of Justice’ website. The tweet in the post was made by Prashant Bhushan but later he tweeted clarifying that ‘the other 2 transfers have also been notified separately’.
While there used to be a date before which the judges need to assume office in the previous transfer orders, there was no such date in all the recent three transfer orders.
About the case:
From the Cause Lists available on the Delhi HC website, it can be seen that this particular case (HARSH MANDER & ANR. vs GNCT OF DELHI & ORS.) was placed before the bench of Justice Sistani on 25 February 2020. But, the matter was marked by Justice Sistani to the Bench of the Chief Justice for 26 February 2020. As the Chief Justice and Justice Sistani were both absent on 26 February 2020, the case was placed before the bench of Justice Muralidhar and Justice Talwant Singh. The same can be seen in one of the orders of the case
To sum it up, all the three transfers recommended by the SC collegium were notified, not just Justice Muralidhar’s transfer.
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created: February 28, 2020


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All these nations are providing COVID-19 vaccinations free of charge to their citizens. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 3, 2021
A post enumerating COVID-19 vaccine prices in different countries is being shared on social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of these rates.
Claim: Price of COVID-19 vaccine in different countries.
Fact: Governments of the countries mentioned in the post are making the COVID-19 vaccine available to their citizens free of cost. Even the Indian government is providing its citizens COVID-19 vaccine free of cost in public healthcare facilities. According to the latest press release, vaccination is free of charge at govt health facilities, whereas private health facilities may recover a charge subject to a ceiling of Rs. 250 per person per dose. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
US:
As per a press release by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services dated 11 February 2021 regarding the Biden administration’s purchase of additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, it is categorically mentioned that the vaccines will be at no cost. Whereas ‘Vaccine administration costs for private-sector administration partners are being covered by healthcare payers: private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, and an HHS program to cover COVID-19 costs for the uninsured which is reimbursing providers at Medicare rates from the Provider Relief Fund’.
Even as per the updated information on CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to all those living in the United States. It is also reiterated that ‘vaccination providers will be reimbursed for vaccine administration fees by the patient’s public or private insurance company or, for uninsured patients, by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund’. Even the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed in March 2020 in this regard says the same.
Europe:
According to the latest information available on the European Commission website, a large majority of the member states are intending to offer vaccination free of charge.
China:
As per the information available on China’s National Health Commission, COVID-19 vaccines will be provided free of charge to all Chinese people.
INDIA:
As per the latest CO-WIN 2.0 guidance note released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, vaccination is free of charge at govt health facilities, whereas private health facilities charge for vaccination at a rate decided by the GoI from time to time.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported by PIB,‘ Private Hospitals functioning as CVCs may recover a charge subject to a ceiling of Rs. 250 per person per dose’.
Brazil, Russia & Saudi Arabia
Multiple news agencies have reported that even Brazil, Russia & Saudi Arabia governments are providing free vaccines to their citizens.
Although vaccine producers are selling vaccines at different prices per dose in different countries, most of the countries are making vaccines available free of cost to their citizens.
In view of the central government’s decision to expand the COVID-19 vaccination program to all citizens above 60 years of age and those within the age bracket of 45 to 59 years with specified co-morbidities, posts like these are being shared with misleading claims.
To sum it up,  all the nations mentioned in the post are providing COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to their citizens.


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NPCI clarifies that all UPI transactions are free for general users, Interchange fee is for Merchants and Banks while using PPIs - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 31, 2023
A social media post which claims that ‘starting from April 1, all UPI transactions more than ₹2000 to be charged 1.1% is being widely shared. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: All UPI transactions more than ₹2000 to be charged 1.1%, starting from April 1.
Fact: No charges will be applicable for regular UPI based bank account payments, starting 01 April 2023. The circular issued recently by NPCI is related to UPI based wallet payments. And even these interchange charges and service charges are borne by banks and wallet institutions, not the general consumers. NPCI has issued a clarification in this regard. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
UPI Interoperability:
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 developed an online money payment system called Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Customers can send money from their bank account to another bank account in seconds using applications like Google Pay, Phone Pay, Paytm, which works based on this system.
Users, with their phone number/UPI ID/QR code linked to the bank, can possibly send money from the bank account registered in one app to the account registered in another app. This is called Interoperability, which basically means connecting various banks and facilitating transactions through the UPI system.
However, few of these UPI applications like Phone Pay, Amazon Pay, Mobi Kwik etc. have their own Prepaid Payments Instruments (PPI) like wallets. Customers can add money from their bank accounts to these wallets and use them.
Till recently these wallets lack interoperability, i.e., money in one wallet cannot be sent to another company’s wallet or UPI payments through these wallets to QR code generated by other entities. Over the years, RBI has directed these UPI service providers to enable interoperability through PPI(wallets) and issued guidelines in this regard. However, many of these service providers failed to do so.
NPCI circular imposing interchange fee:
Subsequently, NPCI, on 24 March 2023, issued a circular proposing an interchange fee applicable to merchant transactions initiated through PPI on UPI, with effect from 01 April 2023.
NPCI circular only talks about charging only those transactions initiated through PPI. And moreover, these charges are only applicable to merchants, not the public.
For example, if a user pays Rs. 3000 by scanning the QR code of ICICI Bank from the phone pay wallet at an HP Petrol Bunk, then ICICI Bank shall pay 0.5% i.e., Rs. 15 to the phone pay. This is called interchange fee.
Further, as per the circular, the PPI issuer shall pay 15 bps as wallet loading charges to the remitter bank (account holders bank) for loading transaction value greater than Rs. 2000 on the wallet.
For example, if  any user loads Rs. 3000 in his Paytm wallet from Access Bank, Paytm shall have to pay 0.15% i.e., Rs. 4.5 to Access Bank.
However, it is this circular of NPCI, that led to the confusion, as it was misinterpreted as all UPI transactions over Rs. 2000 are to be charged.
NPCI denied the rumors :
Following the misinterpretation of the NPCI circular proposing charges on UPI-wallet based transactions, NPCI on 29 March 2023, through a tweet clarified that users will not be charged on UPI transactions.
The tweet categorically mentions that interchange charges are only applicable for PPI merchant transactions. PIB also cleared the air regarding the viral claim.
Although general UPI transactions do not attract any charges as of now, some banking experts opined that charges imposed on UPI-based wallet payments may ultimately have an indirect impact on consumers in near future.
To sum it up, NPCI clarified that all UPI transactions are free for general users. Interchange fee is between Merchants and Banks for transactions made through PPIs.


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Allahabad Railway bridge underpass is falsely portrayed as the road condition in PM Modi’s constituency Varanasi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 17, 2020
Photo of a road with full of stagnant knee-deep rainwater is being shared on social media claiming it to be the condition of roads in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi. In the photo, a banner could be seen beside the road with the photos of PM Narendra Modi, U.P Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of a road full of stagnant knee-deep rainwater in PM Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi.
Fact: In August 2018, a railway bridge underpass in Allahabad city was full of stagnat knee-deep rainwater. The photo shared in the post was shot during rains in Allahabad city and it is not related to PM Modi’s constituency Varanasi. BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi is the elected Lok Sabha member from the Allahabad constituency. 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 ‘Patrika’ newspaper on its website. In that article, it is mentioned that the photo was related to a railway bridge underpass in Allahabad city, Uttar Pradesh. It is also mentioned that a railway bridge underpass was filled with rainwater during monsoon 2018. BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi represents the Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency. Hence the photo shared in the post is not related to PM Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi.
In the article published by ‘Patrika’, it is mentioned that the photo was shot by Rajesh Kumar Singh. When we searched for further information using these keywords, we found the same photo in ‘AP Images’ website. On the ‘AP Image’s website also, it is mentioned that the photo is related to a railway bridge underpass in Allahabad city, Uttar Pradesh. Hence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post is not related to the PM Modi’s constituency Varanasi.
To sum it up,  photo of railway bridge underpass in Allahabad city is falsely portrayed as the condition of roads in PM Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi.
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Allegation that Samajwadi Party’s election symbol was missing from EVM at a booth in Farrukhabad is not true - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2022
In the wake of the ongoing 2022 elections in UP, a video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the election symbol of the Samajwadi Party was missing in the EVM used in a specific polling booth in  Farrukhabad. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Report of Samajwadi Patry’s missing election symbol in the EVMs in Farrukhabad.
Fact: The video reports about an allegation by Samajwadi Party that its election symbol was missing in EVMs at booth number 38 in Vidhan Sabha 194 of Farrukhabad district. The Fatehpur police confirmed that a voter complained regarding the photograph of the candidate not being printed on VVPAT slips in Farrukhabad, not with respect to EVMs. The matter was resolved after it was explained to the voter that party symbols are printed on the VVPAT slips, not the photograph of the candidate. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a longer video with the same visuals was found in Bharat Samachar’s official YouTube channel. The YouTube video claims that because of the negligence of officers, SP’s election symbol was missing from the EVM in a specific polling booth in UP.
Upon searching in Google about such an incident in Farrukhabad, several articles reported about Samajwadi Party’s tweet about its missing election symbol in EVMs. In their tweet, they urged the district administration and the ECI to take cognisance of the situation at booth number 38 in Vidhan Sabha 194 of Farrukhabad district.
In reply to a tweet thread by a journalist, about the same alleged incident in Farrukhabad, Fatehgarh police responded saying that an incident related to VVPAT slips was reported but not regarding EVMs. At booth number 38, a voter named Kuldeep Yadav complained over a call regarding the photograph of the candidate not being printed on VVPAT slips. The matter was resolved after it was explained to him that party symbols are printed on the slips, not the photograph of the candidate.
pic.twitter.com/9ZTBQbwJWR
To sum it up, the allegation that Samajwadi Party’s election symbol was missing from EVM at a booth in Farrukhabad is not true.

created: February 22, 2022


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Allu Arjun's 2022 India Day parade appearance is falsely shared as a Congress campaign - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2024
A video (here, here and here) of Indian actor Allu Arjun waving to a crowd has been gaining traction on social media. This footage is being shared and portrayed as visuals of Allu Arjun campaigning for the Indian National Congress party. We will fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Allu Arjun is seen campaigning for the Indian National Congress during the 2024 general elections.
Fact: The video in question is actually from August 2022, when Allu Arjun served as Grand Marshal at the India Day Parade in New York. Hence, the claim in the post is False.
The video shows Allu Arjun donning a stole on which ‘Grand Marshal’ is written. We conducted a Google search with related phrases, including ‘Grand Marshal,’ tracing the video (here, here and here) back to an event from August 2022. At this time, Allu Arjun was participating in the India Day Parade in New York.
During this parade, organized by the Indian Diaspora in the US, Allu Arjun was honoured as the Grand Marshal. The footage from this event is being falsely circulated as evidence of his support for the Congress party.
Further online searches failed to provide any evidence of Allu Arjun actively endorsing or campaigning for the Congress party.
To sum up, the video in question does not depict Allu Arjun campaigning for the Congress party rather shows his participation in the India Day Parade in August 2022.


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45% of the Cyber-Crimes reported in 2018 are from UP & Karnataka
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 21, 2020
The number of reported cyber-crimes increased by more than 25% in 2018. 45% of these  were from UP & Karnataka.
NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau)has been publishing the data related to Cyber Crimes in its CII (Crimes inIndia) report since 2002. Cyber Crimes are one of the morerecent categories of crime and there exists an ambiguity in terms of reporting,recording, investigation and disposing of cybercrime cases.
The Information Technology Act- 2000, lays down the provisions regardingcybercrimes and the penalties there off. An amendment was made in 2008, with a specialfocus on Information Security.
However, not all cybercrimes arecovered under IT Act, with crimes related to forgery, threat, misappropriationetc have provisions under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Since the inclusion of data relatingto Cyber Crime in 2002, changes were made, and new heads were added to the NCRBreports. With NCRB CII report -2018 released recently, we take a lookat the numbers relating to Cyber Crimes.
Total number of Cyber-Crimes
recorded increased in 2018
2017 recorded a sharp increase inthe number of reported cyber-crimes compared to the previous years. Addition ofnew heads like Cyber stalking, Cyber black mailing, dissemination of fake newsetc were few of the new heads added in 2017.
Compared to 2017, the number ofcyber-crimes has further increased in 2018. While a total of 21,796 crimes wererecorded under both IPC and IT Act in 2017, the number has increased to 27,248in 2018.
Uttar Pradesh reports the highest
number of cyber-crimes while Karnataka has the highest rate of crime
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh reports the highestnumber of cyber-crimes with 6,280 in 2018. Karnataka, which  nearly had a 3-fold increase in the number ofcyber-crimes reported in 2017 with 3174 cases also recorded a significantincrease in 2018. Karnataka reported  5,839cyber-crimes in 2018, next only to Uttar Pradesh. The 2 positionwas occupied by Maharashtra in 2017.
The number of cyber-crimes recordedin Maharashtra reduced in 2018, with 3511 cases compared to 3604 recorded in2017.  Assam has also seen a significant increasein the number of cyber-crimes with 2022 cases in 2018 compared to 1120 in 2017.
The two Telugu speaking states ofAndhra Pradesh (1207) and Telangana(1205) along with Rajasthan(1104) are amongthe other states which have recorded a high number of cyber-crime cases.
Karnataka has the highest
Cyber-Crime Rate
Karnataka has significantly higherrate of Cyber-crimes with 8.9 cyber-crimes per 1 lakh population, compared toother states. Among the other states, Assam comes next with a cyber-crime rate of5.9 followed by Telangana (3.3).
Maharashtra, UP, Jharkhand,Meghalaya and AP are the other states which have cyber-crime rate higher thanIndia’s national average cyber-crime rate of 2.1.
Although the UT of Lakshadweep hasonly 4 cyber-crimes recorded, the rate is a high (6) due to relatively lowerpopulation of 0.7 lakhs.
Most of the Cyber Crimes in 2018
relate to Identity Theft & distribution of sexually explicit content.
Among the 27,248 cyber-crime casesrecorded in 2018, a major portion i.e. 18,495 cases were registered under ITAct. Of the remaining cases 8,647 cases were registered under different IPCsections while 106 cases were booked under SLL (Special and Local Laws).
Out of the total cases booked underIT act, most of the cases are ‘Computer related offences’ with a totalof 14,141 cases in this category in 2018.
Out of the 3,969 cases of ‘Computer
related offences under Section 66’, 3219 i.e. 81% of the cases are in UttarPradesh.  Furthermore, Section 66C whichrelates to ‘Identify Theft’ forms a major portion of Computer relatedoffences with 6688 cases. Significantly, 76.5% i.e. 5517 cases are registeredin Karnataka alone.
Among other Computer related crimes,Section 66D i.e. ‘Cheating by Personation by using computer resources’ also has a significant number in 2018 with 2704 cases. A total of 3076 caseswere booked in 2018 under Section 67 of IT Act i.e. ‘Publication/
transmission of obscene / sexually explicit act in electronic form’. UP(738)and Assam (644) have a higher proportion of cases booked under this section.
21 cases were booked in 2018 undersection 66 F of IT Act which related to ‘Cyber Terrorism’. Of these 11 were inTamil Nadu and 8 in Assam.
Cheating, Fraud, Cyber Stalking form
a majority of cyber-crimes booked under IPC
39% of the cases booked undervarious section of IPC related to ‘Fraud(under section 420, 465, 468-471)’ i.e. 3,353 cases across all the states and UTs.
Of these, a major portion arerelated to ATM related frauds with 1284 cases. Bihar, Maharashtra and Odishaare among the states with the highest number of ATM related frauds.
Nearly 1/3 of the 968cases related to ‘Online Banking Frauds’ are registered in Maharashtra. Odisha,Telangana and UP also have significant number of cases relating to OnlineBanking Frauds. Maharashtra with 143 cases also has a significant share of thetotal Credit Card/Debit Card related crimes.
2051 cyber-crime cases are bookedunder Section 420 i.e. ‘Cheating’. Even under this section, Maharashtrahas the highest number of cases with 878, significantly higher than that ofsecond placed Andhra Pradesh which has 251 cases.
The number of casesbooked for Section 505 of IPC i.e. ‘Fake News on Social Media’, isless than that of 2017. 97 cases for Fake News were registered in 2018, whileit was 170 in 2017.
Fraud and Sexual Exploitation are
identified to be the major motives
55% of the cyber cases booked in2018, have ‘Fraud’ as the motive. Out of the total 15,051 cases with motive as ‘Fraud’,more than 1/3  are inKarnataka with 5,441 cases, followed by UP (2,351) and Maharashtra (1,988).
2,030 cases have ‘SexualExploitation’ as motive. The number has increased substantially from 1,460cases recorded in 2017. As was the case in 2017, the highest number of caseswith ‘Sexual Exploitation’ as motive were registered in Maharashtra in 2018 as wellwith 724 cases.
While the number of cases has comedown in Assam, UP has contributed to the increase in 2018.
‘Causing Disrepute’ and ‘Extortion’continue to be other prime motives even in 2018 with 1,212 and 1050 casesrespectfully. 44 of the cyber cases booked have ‘Terrorist activities’ asmotive, while 296 were pranks and 218 had political motive.
Increase in number of cases can be
attributed to increased awareness and better reporting
The cyber-crimes as per NCRB reportsis based on the crimes which have been reported and have been taken intocognizance by the law enforcement agencies. One of the major handicaps in reportinga cyber-crime in India has been the lack of awareness among the general public.Lack of a clear process along with lack of resources with the law enforcementagencies in dealing with these crimes add to the problem.
Significant increase in the numberof reported cyber-crimes can be attributed to increase in the crimes relatingto fraud, identity theft, online cheating etc, which could point to increasedawareness to report a crime. Currently there is no conclusive data to indicateabsolute increase in number of frauds or other related crimes committed apartfrom the increase in the cases being reported.
While reporting of a cyber-crime is one part of the story, the action taken by authorities is equally important. Comparing the increase in cyber-crimes reporting with trends in the disposal of cases by police and courts would offer a comprehensive perspective. The analysis of the disposal of these cases will be dealt in the next story.
Featured Image: Cyber-Crimes in India

created: January 21, 2020


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Amartya Sen never held a position at Visva-Bharati, and the dispute is centred around his ancestral property - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 2, 2023
A post is being widely shared on social media, claiming that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was involved in gross irregularities and land grabbing during his tenure at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Amartya Sen was involved in gross irregularities and land grab during his tenure at visva-Bharati university in West Bengal.
Fact: Amartya Sen never held an official position at Visva-Bharati University, and the recent controversy between him and the university is related to a dispute over his ancestral property. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We conducted an internet search to learn more about Amartya Sen’s connection with Visva-Bharati University. According to Sen’s biography on the Nobel Prize website, he was born on the Visva-Bharati campus in Santiniketan in 1933 and completed his school education there. According to his curriculum vitae, Sen received an honorary D. Litt from Visva-Bharati University in 1983. However, there is no indication that he held a faculty or administrative position at the university. Furthermore, Amartya Sen’s name is not mentioned in the list of prominent personalities associated with Visva-Bharati.
According to media reports, the land dispute between Amartya Sen and Visva-Bharati University centres around a plot of land on the university campus in Santiniketan. In December 2020, the university included Sen in a list of illegal occupants on its campus. The university alleges that Sen possesses 1.38 acres of land, which exceeds his legal entitlement of 1.25 acres. They claim that only 1.25 acres of land were leased to Sen’s father, Ashutosh Sen, a professor at Visva-Bharati University in 1940. In response to the university’s January 2023 letters demanding the return of excess land, Sen stated that his father had purchased the freehold land from the market, not from Visva-Bharati, and they have been paying taxes for it. He argued that the university’s allegations were an attempt at harassment.
In April 2023, the University administration issued an eviction notice, stating that Sen’s earlier reply to the show cause notice was fallacious and factually incorrect. They maintained that Visva Bharati was the rightful owner of all the lands, including the 13 decimals of land occupied by Sen, which had been encroached upon over the years.
Visva-Bharati University eviction notice posted on the gate of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's house. Bizarre indeed, because land in Santiniketan is vested in the Governor – the lessor. Except for endowment made by Gurudev Tagore, VBU has no jurisdiction over residential holdings. pic.twitter.com/MBnr70TCwh
In response, Amartya Sen indicated that he had seen a statement from parts of Visva Bharati about his ancestral home in Pratichi, Santiniketan. He explained that his family had possessed and regularly used the land since 1943 and that he inherited it after his parents passed away. Sen mentioned that his parents had also purchased land near the leased area, and its use had remained consistent for 80 years. He argued that any claims against the lease before its expiration were invalid, and cited the local magistrate’s assertion that the existing arrangement should be respected, and no disruptions or breaches of peace should be permitted.
Professor Amartya Sen's statement regarding the eviction notice issued by Visva-Bharati. The eviction notice, pasted near the main gate of Noble Laureate’s Shantiniketan residence on last Friday said that the “proceedings will be disposed of on April 19 through a final order”. pic.twitter.com/pdwqwYR9pe
Following this, the university had recently ordered Sen to vacate the 13 decimals of land allegedly occupied by him in Santiniketan by 06 May 2023. Amartya Sen approached a court against this eviction order.  The case has now been filed on behalf of the Nobel laureate in West Bengal’s Suri district court, with a hearing scheduled for 15 May 2023. Over 120 left-leaning intellectuals and prominent figures have written an open letter, urging Visva-Bharati University not to “harass” Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over the land issue.
Visva Bharati University in an eviction order has asked Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to vacate the 13 decimals of land which he has been allegedly occupying in an unauthorised manner. pic.twitter.com/hfgMqfJRbd
To sum it up, Amartya Sen never held an official position at Visva-Bharati University, and the recent controversy between him and the university is centred around a dispute over his ancestral property.


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Ambani family did not make any announcement of setting up a solar power plant in Ayodhya - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2022
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Mukesh Ambani family is planning to set up a solar power plant in Ayodhya. This post claims that the Reliance solar power project in Ayodhya will provide an uninterrupted power supply to Ram Mandir free of charge. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ambani family is establishing a solar power plant in Ayodhya to provide uninterrupted power supply to Ram Mandir.
Fact: The Reliance Group of Industries did not make any such public statement about setting up a solar power plant in Ayodhya. As part of the Yogi Adityanath government’s plan to develop Ayodhya as an eco-friendly city,  the state government had conducted a survey and compiled the requirements of setting up solar power plants in the city. As per a few media reports, this scheme is completely a government project. The Ram Janmabhoomi trust officials denied these rumours of solar power plant donation from the Ambani family. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether the Ambani family had made any such announcement of donating a solar power plant in Ayodhya, we could not find any such news on the internet. The Reliance Group of Industries did not make any such announcement on their ‘official’ website.  Also, the Ram Mandir Trust did not inform of any such donation of a solar power plant from the Ambani family. If Mukesh Ambani or any of his family members had announced such a donation for Ayodhya Ram Mandir, several news websites including the Ram Mandir Trust website would have published this information including reports by media.
On searching for further details related to the claim made in the post, we found a ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ news article published on 17 July 2021. This article reported that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh was planning to develop Ayodhya as an eco-friendly and solar city. As part of this initiative, the state government had reportedly conducted a survey to analyse different parameters required to ensure solar energy supply not only for domestic use but also for commercial purposes in Ayodhya. In the survey, the officials made a report on the capacity to meet the needs of the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation area, what are the domestic, commercial, and industrial requirements, how much is the availability of sunlight, the availability of land for setting up solar plants among other things. According to the article, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is directly monitoring this solar power project. Reporting the same, several news websites published articles in 2021. They can be seen here and here.  But it is nowhere reported that the solar project would be funded by Mukesh Ambani or his family.
The ‘Vishvas News’ fact-checking organization contacted Dr. Anil Mishra, a member of the Ram Mandir Trust member for clarification. Anil Mishra said, “Ambani family is not setting up any solar plant in the Ram temple. This claim is wrong”. Reliance communication had also confirmed to Vishwas News that no such statement was made by the company. Also, a Dainik Bhaskar bureau chief informed ‘Vishvas News’ that the solar project that would be implemented in Ayodhya was completely a Government project.
To sum it up, the Ambani family did not make any announcement of setting up a solar power plant in Ayodhya.