text:
The viral video does not show the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 28, 2024
A video (here, here and here) is currently making rounds on social media platforms, allegedly showing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore from a different camera angle. The claim associated with this video is generating significant attention among netizens. In this fact-check article, we check the veracity of this claim.
Claim: Video showing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore from a different angle.
Fact: Contrary to the claim, the video is unrelated to the alleged incident. It is old footage from 2022, showcasing the Kerch Bridge explosion in Crimea, not the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To fact-check this claim, we performed a reverse image search using keyframes from the footage. The search results led us to multiple news reports (here, here and here) from October 2022.
The reports identified the explosion shown in the video as the Kerch Bridge explosion in Crimea. According to these reports, the blast, caused by a truck bomb, resulted in at least three fatalities.
Furthermore, we examined the news reports related to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed on 26 March 2024 following a collision with a ship.
However, contrary to the viral posts, our research found no reports suggesting an explosion had occurred on the bridge. Although a fire broke out (here and here) following the collision, footage shows no evidence of a massive explosion, as depicted in the viral video.
To sum up, the viral video, alleged to depict the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, actually shows the Kerch Bridge explosion in Crimea from 2022.


text:
The visuals depict a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk caught in an alleged sex scandal, not an Indian Hindu Monk - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 25, 2023
An image of a partially dressed man is being widely on social media platforms, claiming that a Hindu Monk in India was caught in an intimate situation with two women. Some posts allege that the individual involved is Nirmal Singh Ji, also known as Guruji. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a Indian Hindu Monk Nirmal Singh Ji with two women.
Fact: The person in the viral video is a Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk named Pallegama Sumana Thero. The footage shows individuals allegedly breaking into a residence in Nawagamuwa where he was intimate with two women in July 2023. Police arrested the intruders, but they were later released when Thero withdrew the complaint. Furthermore, Nirmal Singh Ji passed away in 2007. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral visuals were subjected to a reverse image search, which led us to news reports by Sri Lankan media outlets (here, here & here). These reports featured the same visuals published on 08 July 2023 and suggested that the video originated from the Nawagamuwa area of Sri Lanka. The footage shows individuals breaking into a residence while a Buddhist Monk named Pallegama Sumana Thero was allegedly intimate with two women.
The individuals claimed that they visited the house after receiving information about Sumana Thero engaging in inappropriate behaviour with the two women. Thero reported the incident to the Nawagamuwa police, leading to the arrest of the intruders on charges of breaking and entering, as well as assaulting Thero and the women. However, for reasons unknown, Thero later withdrew the complaint, resulting in the release of the suspects.
Furthermore, according to reports, Nirmal Singh Ji, also known as Guruji, passed away in 2007. In an interaction with India Today, a member of Nirmal Singh Ji’s Ashram in Delhi clarified that the video in question has no connection to Guruji and that the Ashram plans to take legal action against those responsible.
To sum it up, the viral video depicts a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and not an Indian Hindu Monk.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


text:
These visuals of parents pleading their daughter are falsely shared as a love-jihad incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 9, 2023
The video of an elderly couple falling at the feet of a boy and girl is being widely shared, claiming to depict the parents of a Hindu girl who married a Muslim boy, urging her to come back. The video is being shared attributing a Love-Jihad narrative to the incident. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of elderly couple pleading with their daughter, who married a Muslim man.
Fact: These visuals are from Raiya village, Gujarat, wherein the daughter of Galaba bhai Barot of Raiya village eloped and married her elder brother’s brother-in-law. As the couple in question belong to the same religion and are also relatives, there is no love-jihad narrative associated with this incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral visuals indeed depict an elderly couple pleading with their daughter, who got married without their consent. However, contrary to the love-jihad narrative being shared on social media, she married her own brother-in-law.
A reverse image search of the viral visuals yielded multiple news articles, that reported the same visuals (here & here). According to one such report, the visuals are from Raiya village of Deodar taluk, Gujarat, wherein the daughter of Galaba bhai Barot of Raiya village eloped and married her elder brother’s brother-in-law. Her parents had fixed the girl’s marriage with their younger son’s brother-in-law.
Meanwhile, her parents lodged a missing complaint after which the girl and her husband were called to the Deodar police station. At the police station, the parents requested the girl to come back, but the girl did not listen to them. After this, the girl’s parents fell on her feet to persuade her.
These visuals have gone viral on social media attributing multiple claims. However, since the couple in question belong to the same religion and are also relatives, there is no love-jihad narrative associated with this incident.
To sum it up, the visuals of parents pleading with their daughter, falling at her feet, are not linked to any love-jihad narrative.


text:
The visuals shown in this fountain video have no association with Lord Shiva - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 20, 2022
A post with a video of a holographic water fountain is being shared with the description that reads #Shivtandav, alluding that it is related to Lord Shiva. Let’s see if the video in the post is related to Lord Shiva.
Claim: Holographic water fountain of Lord Shiva.
Fact: The visual shown in the post is not of Lord Shiva; nowhere in the holographic water fountain the visuals of Lord Shiva were found. Hence the post is FALSE.
Google reverse image search for screenshots of the video in the post led us to many such videos. Many users have mentioned that the video was taken in China. Further, nothing related to Lord Shiva was seen in the video. Also, video’s audio from the post does not match the audio of the video found on the internet. In a lengthier version of the video, Santa Claus also appears at the end of the video. However, no definite information is available to say that the video was shot in China.
Another video with similar images of the holographic water fountain can be seen here. Visuals of different shapes and forms of dancing and performing something are clearly visible in this video. There are no visuals of Lord Shiva anywhere in the video.
To sum it up, the visuals shown in this fountain video have no association with Lord Shiva.


text:
The Voice in this clip is not of Lakshmi Mittal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2023
An audio clip purportedly featuring the voice of Indian industrialist Lakshmi Mittal speaking against the idea of secularism in India and endorsing the concept of a state religion is being widely shared on social media. Let’s verify the authenticity of the claim.
Claim: Audio clip of Lakshmi Mittal speaking against the idea of secularism in India and endorsing the concept of state religion.
Fact: The person speaking in the audio clip is not Lakshmi Mittal. The same was confirmed by Mittal’s company, ArcelorMittal, in 2019. Therefore, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon investigation, we discovered that the audio clip has been circulating on social media since 2019. We extensively searched for news reports from that period to determine whether Lakshmi Mittal made any statements aligning with the ideas expressed in the audio clip, whether in off-the-record conversations or interviews. However, we could not find any such evidence or reports supporting the claims made in the audio clip.
We then proceeded to compare the voice in the audio clip with several instances of other talks (here & here) by Mittal. During interviews, Mittal has occasionally faced difficulty in pronouncing the “sh” sound (represented by ʃ), as observed in words like “admission” and “decision.” However, in the viral video, the person does not appear to exhibit any difficulty in pronouncing the “sh” sound.
Furthermore, the viral audio claims that Mittal’s grandfather was the second-largest steel manufacturer during the British era. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this assertion. In fact, it was Mittal’s father, Mohan Lal, who initiated the family’s steel business in the 1950s.
When the video went viral, the official Twitter handle of Lakshmi Mittal’s company, ArcelorMittal, explicitly denied that the voice in the viral video belongs to Lakshmi Mittal.
An audio file is circulating online claiming to be remarks on Indian politics and religion by our Chairman and CEO. We do not know who the speaker is, but it is not Mr Lakshmi Mittal.
To sum it up, the audio being shared is not of Lakshmi Mittal. It is falsely attributed to him, presenting him as speaking against the idea of secularism in India and supporting the concept of a state religion.


text:
As the volume of physical mail goes down, Deposits Soar in Post Offices
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 7, 2015
The advent of email & other forms of electronic communication has killed the good old postcard communication. This is substantiated by the data available with the Ministry of Statistics. In the last 10 years, the number of Postcards handled by the Postal Department dropped by almost 50% and the over all volume of various physical mail handled by the Postal Department dropped by more than 30%. But this drop is made up by the increase in number of savings depositors and deposit amounts. While the number of depositors has more than doubled in the last 10 years, the amount has more than tripled.
With the advent of e-mail and other forms of electronic communication coupled with the increase in the number of private courier companies, the number of physical mail sent through the postal system has been continuously coming down in the last decade and a half. At the same time, there has been a surge in the amount of deposits in post offices making up for the reduced mail activity.
Five different types of mails are handled by the Postal Department. They include
As per the data available with the Ministry of Statistics, the total volume of mail (in all the above five categories put together) handled by the Department of Posts has been in a download spiral in the last decade. From 8.72 crore in 2003-04, this number came down to 6.05 crore in 2013-14, a drop of more than 30%. This drop was seen in all the categories handled by the department except newspapers & Packets.
In fact, the only category that has seen a substantial rise is Packets. There has been more than 50% rise in the number of packets handled by the department. During the same time, Postcards saw a decline of close to 48% and letters saw a decline of 35%.
The number of post offices has remained more or less constant over the last 10 years while the number of letter boxes has come down from 5.97 lakh to 5.36 lakh, a drop of about 10%.
While the volume of physical mail has come down by almost 1/3 in the last 10 years, the number of depositors in Post Office Savings account has more than doubled. While there were about 6 crore depositors in 2004-05, there were more than 13 crore depositors in 2013-14. This could be because of routing MNREGS payments through Post Offices and more people wanting to open Post Office accounts.
During this time, the amount of deposits more than tripled from more than 25000 crore in 2004-05 to around 89000 crore in 2013-14. But surprisingly, the deposit amount remained more or less constant since 2010-11.


text:
The Werewolf in this video is not real, it is created by an artist - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 25, 2021
A video is being widely shared online claiming that a Werewolf was hit by Pakistan Army on the India-Pakistan Sialkot border. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Werewolf hit by Pakistan Army near India-Pakistan border.
Fact: The Werewolf in the video is not real. It is a work of art by Joseph-Rob Cobasky, who is a freelance SFX sculpture artist and an Art Director from Phoenix, Arizona. The Werewolf was created by Rob Cobasky for a film titled ‘Unsanctified’ by Tremulous Motion Pictures. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search was done on the screenshots of the video, an Instagram post published on 27 November 2020, by robcobasky was found with the same visuals. The Instagram profile reveals that Joseph-Rob Cobasky is a Freelance sculpture artist. In the Instagram account of Joseph-Rob Cobasky, there are several posts featuring the Werewolf. The posts can be seen here and here.
In a YouTube video uploaded by Patti Katter, Joseph Rob Cobasky talks about the intricacies of creating monster sculptures and special effects. According to the description of the video, Joseph Rob Cobasky is a freelance SFX sculpture artist and art director from Phoenix, Arizona; he is mainly acclaimed for his works on The Kiss, Glass Fences, and Space Munchies.
Tremulous Motion Pictures, a television and film production studio, based out of Los Angeles revealed in a tweet that the Werewolf was created by Rob Cobasky, Director of Practical Effects for a film titled ‘Unsanctified’. According to the tweet, the Creator of Werewolf man went viral in Argentina and Brazil when people thought that the monstrous creature was real.
Rob Cobasky our Director of Practical Effects on UNSANCTIFIED. Creator of the Werewolf man went viral in Argentina and Brazil when People beloved his Monstrous creature was real. https://t.co/1zSFzZCHma pic.twitter.com/HapBEAJgC2
To sum it up, the Werewolf in this video is not real, it is created by an artist.


text:
The WhatsApp forward offering 3 crore rupees for kidney donation is a fraudulent message - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2021
An advertising message offering three crore rupees for kidney transplantation is being widely circulating on WhatsApp. A person proclaiming himself as Doctor Ajay Agarwal has shared this message to interested Kidney donors. He asks interested kidney donors to fill in personal details and send them to his WhatsApp number. Let’s verify the authenticity of this message.
Claim: WhatsApp forward message offering three crore rupees for Kidney donation.
Fact: The Government of India constituted Authorization Committee (AC) has the authority to approve or reject organ transplants between the recipient and donors other than the first relatives. Authorization Committee ensures that the organ donors are not being exploited for monetary consideration to donate their organs. Without the permission of the Authorization Committee, a non-relative donor cannot donate their organs to the recipient, unless he is a deceased person. Similar fraudulent messages have been going viral for quite some time now. Hence, this WhatsApp message offering money for Kidney donation is fraudulent. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To find the details of this kidney transplantation advertisement, we contacted the mobile numbers provided in the message. A person impersonating Dr. Ajay Agarwal had spoken to us on phone. When we asked him about the details of his hospital and their official website, he had disconnected our phone call. We could not find any hospital with the name ‘Kidney Organ Bank’ in India. A similar message was found circulating on social media since January 2021. ‘India Today’ published an article on a similar WhatsApp message in 2018.  This article reported that a Bangalore man had fallen prey to a similar fraudulent message on organ donation and tried to sell his kidney for 1.6 crore rupees.
Raising concerns over the illegal organ transplantations in the country, the Government of India has introduced ‘The Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994’ (THO). To regulate the transplant activities, the Central Government had constituted Authorization Committee (AC) and Appropriate Authority (AA) in each state or Union Territory. The primary duty of the Authorization Committee is to ensure that the donor is not being exploited for monetary consideration to their organ. The Authorization Committee has the authority to approve or reject organ transplants between the recipient and donors other than first relatives.
The Government of India has classified living donors as either first relatives (like spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, and brother) or a non-related donor. In the circumstances of no first relative donors, the recipient and the non-related donor are required to seek special permission from the government-appointed Authorization Committee. They should appear for an interview in front of the committee to prove that the motive of donation is purely out of altruism or affection for the recipient. Without the permission of the Authorization Committee, a non-relative donor cannot donate their organs to the recipient, unless he is a deceased person. Apart from these methods, an organ recipient can move for another alternative method of organ transplantation i.e; Swap Transplantations.
According to the guidelines issued in the THO act, a medical practitioner who rendered his services for illegal organ transplantation shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of five years. Also, the accused name shall be reported to the respective State Medical Council for taking necessary action, including the removal of his name from the register of the Council for two years. Any person convicted in commercial dealings of Human Organs shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of seven years.
Several news websites have published news articles on these fraudulent messages circulating on WhatsApp. They can be read here, here, and here. Cybercrime officials from different states have alarmed people about these fraudulent messages on organ donation. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the message of soliciting Kidney donation for money is fraudulent.
To sum it up, the WhatsApp messages offering money for kidney transplantations are fraudulent.


text:
The white liquid seen in this video is Phenyl emulsifier/cutting oil, not adulterated milk - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2022
A video purportedly showing milk adulteration is being widely shared on social media. Let’s verify the truth behind it.
Claim: Video showing the process of milk adulteration.
Fact: The video shows mixing of Turkey red oil/ mineral oil with water to get a white solution called Phenyl emulsifier/cutting oil. Phenyl emulsifier is used in making white phenyls, whereas cutting oil is used as lubricant and coolant for machines. There are no reports to suggest that these fluids are used in milk adulteration in India. According to FSSAI, most common substances found in adulterated milk are water, antibiotics, pesticides, aflatoxin M1 etc. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords and found that the same video with similar claims has been going viral since 2018. We then found similar videos on YouTube where a white solution is formed after mixing water with a concentrated chemical. Some of the videos can be seen here and here.
When the concentrated Turkey red oil is mixed with water, a white coloured solution is formed which is usually used in making white phenyl. Similarly, mineral oil when mixed with water turns into a white coloured liquid generally referred as cutting oil, which is used as lubricant and coolant in machines. There are no reports to suggest that they are used in milk adulteration process. Moreover, the taste and odour of this white liquid is completely different from that of milk, which makes it easy to identify.
Nevertheless, milk adulteration is a serious problem in the country. According to the FSSAI survey in 2019, 12 out of 6,432 samples of milk were found unsafe for human consumption due to adulteration. 77 samples contained residues of antibiotics above the permissible limits. About 5.7 per cent of the samples were also found to be contaminated with aflatoxin M1 residues, a chemical compound that gets into the milk through feed and fodder. Among 12 adulterated samples, six were found to contain hydrogen peroxide, while others had the presence of detergent, urea, or neutralisers. A detailed report on substances used in milk adulteration and detection techniques can be read here.
To sum it up, the white liquid seen in this video is phenyl emulsifier/cutting oil; the video doesn’t show milk adulteration process.

created: November 15, 2022


text:
The woman being vaccinated in this video is not Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughter. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 12, 2020
As soon as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has approved the World’s First COVID-19 vaccine (which is named as ‘Sputnik V’) and one of his daughters got vaccinated, a video of a woman getting vaccinated is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the woman in the video is Putin’s daughter. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughter getting vaccinated.
Fact: The woman in the video is not Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughter. The woman in the photo is Natalya. She is one of the volunteers who got vaccinated in the trials conducted in Russia. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Yandex Reverse Image Search, many videos with similar visuals were found in the search results. A similar video was uploaded by a Russian Channel on YouTube in July 2020. In the description, it was written that the group of volunteers were discharged from Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital after the vaccine trial.
The image of the same woman (the earrings are same) can be also found in an article published by ‘Zvezda’ (a Russian state-owned nationwide TV network run by the Russian Ministry of Defence) in June 2020. On 13 July 2020, ‘Zvezda’ published a video on YouTube regarding the clinical trials in Russia. In the video, the same woman can be found talking to the channel. The channel has referred to her as ‘Natalya’, ‘a cadet of the Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov’ (translated by Google). The related article can be read here.  So, she is not Putin’s daughter because, as reported by news agencies, the names of Putin daughters are Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova.
In another article published by ‘Zvezda’, the face of the girl without any mask can be seen. So, it can be confirmed that the woman in the video is not Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughter.
To sum it up, the woman being vaccinated in the posted video is not Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughter.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
The woman crying in this video is not Yasin Malik’s wife - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 27, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Yasin Malik’s wife was seen crying in front of the camera. An NIA court had recently handed life term to the Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, in a case related to terrorism and secessionist activities in 2016-17. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Yasin Malik’s wife crying after a life term was handed to him by an NIA court.
Fact: The video of woman crying is from ‘Azadi March’ organised by Imran Khan against the Pakistani PML-N government to dissolve the assemblies and announce an election. The woman is not Yasin Malik’s wife. Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik’s wife is a Pakistani artist named Mushaal Hussein Mullick. She cried in a press conference in 2019 which she was appealing for Yasin Malik and his health as he was in Indian prison then. Usually, she appears in press conferences appealing and requesting, for her husband’s release. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same video was found on YouTube. The YouTube video was uploaded by a Pakistani news channel ‘GNN’. The visuals of a woman crying are from ‘Azadi March’ that was held in Pakistan. They did not mention in the video that it was Yasin Malik’s wife.
When we searched in google with relevant keywords, the same video was found (here and here) shared by official handles of Imran Khan’s political party. ‘Azadi March’ is a march organised by Imran Khan against the Pakistani PML-N government to dissolve the assemblies and announce an election. The march which included women and children saw violence across Pakistan. Nowhere was it mentioned that the woman crying in the video was Yasin Malik’s wife.
Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik’s wife is a Pakistani artist named Mushaal Hussein Mullick. She reportedly addressed the press recently and appealed to international community to help release Yasin Malik who was given a life sentence by an NIA court. She also appealed to Pakistan’s parliament recently.
A video of Yasin Malik’s wife crying and pleading for his health in 2019 had gone viral on social media as recent.
To sum it up, the woman crying in this video is not Yasin Malik’s wife.


text:
The woman doing a traditional dance in this video is not Sriganganagar District Collector Rukmani Riar (IAS) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 30, 2022
A video of a woman dancing with a pot on her head is being shared widely on social media with a claim that she is Sriganganagar District Collector Rukmani Riar (IAS). Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The woman doing a cultural dance in the video is Sriganganagar District Collector Rukmani Riar (IAS).
Fact: The woman dancing in the video is not Rukmani Riar (IAS). She has clarified the same to multiple news agencies. Also, the facial features of the woman in the video and Rukmani Riar do not match. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, many similar videos were found on social media. It is an old video, and the old posts do not have any similar claims. They were just shared with the description that they show Rajasthani dance. Some of those old posts can be seen here, here, and here. Rukmani Riar (IAS) recently took charge as Sriganganagar District Collector. The facial features of the woman in the video and Rukmani Riar do not match.
Also, talking to several media agencies, Rukmani Riar has clarified that she is not the one who is dancing in the video.
To sum it up, the woman doing a traditional dance in the posted video is not Sriganganagar District Collector Rukmani Riar (IAS).


text:
The woman in the photo did not talk about double standards in Hinduism - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 1, 2019
An image of a woman is being shared on social media with a claim that she has converted herself into Islam as she did not like the double standards in Hinduism. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The woman in the photo said that she got converted herself from Hinduism into Islam because a person can drink cow urine but cannot drink water from the hands of a Dalit in Hinduism.
Fact: The woman in the photo never mentioned about double standards in Hinduism. She mentioned that her husband forcibly converted her into Islam. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image in the post was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the photo was found in a website called ‘Hindu Existence’. On that website, it was written that the name of the woman in the photo is Jaya Bhandari and she lives in Ranchi. When searched on Google with the information found, a news article published by Hindustan Times in 2015 was found in the search results. According to the article in the Hindustan Times, Jaya Bhandari (a divorcee) was forcibly converted into Islam by her second husband. It can also be read that she filed a police complaint as her husband and in-laws forced her to eat beef, assaulted her and also, changed her name to Zoya Anwar.
To sum it up, the woman in the photo said that she was forced to convert into Islam by her husband and she did not speak anything about double standards of Hinduism.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?

created: August 1, 2019


text:
The woman in the photo with Rahul Gandhi is Jharkhand Congress MLA Amba Prasad, not Karnataka’s Muskan Khan. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 11, 2022
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Muskan Khan, Karnataka’s hijab-wearing girl, had met with Rahul Gandhi. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Muskan Khan, Karnataka’s hijab-wearing girl, when she met Rahul Gandhi.
Fact: The woman in the photo is not Muskan Khan. The woman is Congress MLA  Amba Prasad from Jharkhand. Recently, a video of Muskan Khan, a Muslim girl student wearing hijab, who was confronted by students wearing saffron stoles in Karnataka went viral. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the photo along with some keywords, the same photo was found on the official Facebook page of Amba Prasad. Amba Prasad is a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Barkagaon in Jharkhand. She is a member of the Indian National Congress. This photo was taken on 08 February 2022 when she met Rahul Gandhi along with other Congress MLAs from Jharkhand. The same photo was posted by Amba Prasad on her Instagram page.
When the same photo went viral on social media claiming the woman to be Muskan Khan, Amba Prasad had clarified that it was indeed her in the photo. She requested the Jharkhand Police to act on those who were spreading such false news. When Rahul Gandhi met Jharkhand MLAs recently, even Amba Prasad was present at his New Delhi residence.
यह मैं हूं।@INCIndia पार्टी से बड़कागांव की विधायक।
इस फोटो को कर्नाटक की बुर्का वाली लड़की कहकर कलह फैलाने की कोशिश की जा रही तो बता दूं हमारी पार्टी में सबको सम्मान और अधिकार है।भगवा वस्त्र हो या हिजाब।@JharkhandPolice कृपया ऐसे ट्वीट पर फेक कमेंट वालों पर कार्रवाई करें। https://t.co/vU1CnnLBMn
Recently, a video of Muskan Khan, a Muslim girl student wearing a hijab, who was confronted by students wearing saffron stoles in Karnataka went viral.
To sum it up, the woman in the photo with Rahul Gandhi is Jharkhand Congress MLA Amba Prasad, not Karnataka’s hijab-wearing girl Muskan Khan.

created: February 11, 2022


text:
The Woman in the uniform is an actress and the girl in the photo is from Pakistan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 21, 2019
A post with a photo showing a girl, in 2004 and 2018, is being shared on Facebook widely with a claim that she became an IPS officer. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The photo shows an inspiring story of a poor girl (in 2004) becoming an IPS Officer (in 2018).
Fact: The two persons in the photo are not related to each other. The girl’s photo was taken in 2015 in Pakistan whereas the woman in the police uniform is an actress from  South India. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the girl’s photo in the post is cropped and ran through Yandex Reverse Image Search, a link to Flickr account of a photographer can be found in the search results. According to the description given below the photograph on the website, the photograph was taken in 2015 by Sohail Karmani in Pakistan. So, the photo was not taken in 2004.
If the woman’s photo is cropped and ran through Google Reverse Image, many similar images can be found in the search results. The photos are stills from a Tamil movie titled “Thimiru Pudichavan”. She is the leading actress in the film and portrayed the character of a police officer.
To sum it up, the woman in the uniform is an actress and the girl in the photo belongs to Pakistan.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


text:
The woman in the video attending Muslim prayers is Andhra Pradesh's Health Minister, not a Chhattisgarh SDM - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2024
A video being shared online shows a Hindu woman attending Muslim prayers. This is shared with claims that she is SDM Nikitha Singh from Chhattisgarh (here & here). The posts allege that not only did she allocate land for a mosque, but she also ensured that prayers were conducted there. This article examines the accuracy of these claims.
Claim: A video depicts SDM Nikitha Singh from Chhattisgarh participating in Muslim prayers at a mosque for which she allocated the land.
Fact: The woman featured in the video is Vidadala Rajini, the Health Minister of Andhra Pradesh. She posted the same video on her official Facebook profile in early April 2024. According to the hashtags linked to the post, she attended Muslim prayers in the Guntur West constituency as a part of her election campaign. Additionally, our search did not reveal any SDM by the name of Nikita Singh serving in Chhattisgarh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video captures a Hindu woman participating in Muslim prayers, but contrary to claims, she is not an SDM. She is actually a Minister from Andhra Pradesh. A reverse image search of screenshots from the video traced it back to the same footage shared by Vidadala Rajini, the Minister of Health, Family Welfare, and Medical Education of Andhra Pradesh, on 06 April 2024.
Based on the hashtags included in the video, it appears that she participated in Muslim prayers in the Guntur West constituency as part of her election campaign. According to the reports, she is a candidate for the Guntur West constituency in the upcoming 2024 assembly elections, representing the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). However, we could not find any reports stating Rajini donated that piece of land to the Muslim community for a mosque.
Further, a Google search using relevant keywords failed to provide any information about an officer in the rank of SDM named Nikitha Singh in Chhattisgarh. Additionally, the Chhattisgarh government website does not list any SDM by the name of Nikita Singh. Furthermore, we were unable to locate any IAS officer named Nikitha Singh in the list of IAS officers.
To sum up, the woman shown attending Muslim prayers in the video is the Health Minister of Andhra Pradesh, not an SDM from Chhattisgarh.


text:
The woman in the video is neither Canada PM’s wife nor belongs to Surat - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 23, 2020
A video of a woman on a hospital bed pleading people to take COVID-19 seriously is making rounds on social media with the claim that the woman in the video is Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim about the video.
Video of Canada PM Justin Trudeau’s wife pleading people to take COVID-19 seriously.
Fact: The woman in the video is not Canada Prime Minister’s wife (Sophie Grégoire Trudeau). She is Tara Jane Langston, a waitress who contracted COVID-19 and undergoing treatment at Hillingdon Hospital in London. So, the claim is FALSE.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was tested positive for Coronavirus and is in isolation since then.
When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search, an article of ‘Dailymail’ was obtained in the search results.  As per this article, the woman in the video is Tara Jane Langston, a waitress who contracted COVID-19 and is undergoing treatment at Hillingdon Hospital in London. She has filmed the video in an intensive care unit of the hospital pleading people to take COVID-19 seriously. Tara Jane Langston was admitted to the hospital on 15 March and was later diagnosed with COVID-19. Since then, she is undergoing treatment and is now recovering well.
Also, the same video is being falsely shared (archived post) as ‘Rita Bachkaniwala. First positive coronavirus case in Surat’.
To conclude, the woman in the video is neither Canada PM’s wife nor belong to Surat.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
The woman in the video is not the Hyderabad Veterinary Doctor who was murdered - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2019
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the video shows the last speech of the Hyderabad Veterinary Doctor who was raped and murdered. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The last speech of the Hyderabad Veterinary Doctor who was raped and murdered.
Fact: The woman in the video is not the Hyderabad Veterinary Doctor who was raped and murdered. She is Allola Divya Reddy, the founder of Klimom Wellness & Farms. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Even though it is not legal to mention the name of the rape victim, many news agencies have run news stories with the name of the Hyderabad Veterinary Doctor who was raped and murdered. The name should not be mentioned as per the directions of the Supreme Court, but her name is definitely not ‘Divya Reddy’.
In the video, at 0:37 secs, it can be seen that her name is ‘Divya Allola Reddy’ and she is the founder of ‘Klimom’.
When searched for ‘Klimom’ on Google, it was found that it sells dairy-based products and focuses on indigenous cow breeds (Gir cows). On the website of ‘Klimom’, it can be found that the speech in the video was given by Divya Allola Reddy (Founder of ‘Klimom’) when she was awarded the ‘National Gopal Ratna Award 2018’. The extended version of the posted video was also uploaded by ‘Klimom’ on its YouTube channel. ‘Klimom’ has also posted about this event on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.
In a video uploaded by ‘ABN Telugu’, it was found that she is the daughter-in-law of the Telangana Minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy.
To sum it up, the woman in the video is not the Hyderabad Veterinary Doctor who was raped and murdered.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: December 10, 2019


text:
The woman in the viral photo is a Tamil Writer, not Madhya Pradesh IAS officer - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 17, 2023
An image depicting a woman seated beside an elderly man is being widely shared on social media. The post claims that the woman is an IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh and that she has realized her father’s dream of travelling in an aeroplane, given that he worked as a truck driver. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of an IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh with her father on a flight.
Fact: The woman in the Image is not an IAS officer. Her name is Pon. Vimala. She is a Tamil writer and is currently working as Executive Director of Colors TV Tamil. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Conducting a reverse image search on the viral image led us to the same image in a Linkedin post shared by a woman named Vimala Pon two years ago. In this post, Vimala identified herself as the woman in the picture and mentioned that her father (the elderly man in the image) was a truck driver. She expressed that her childhood dream was to take him on a plane, and she accomplished this aspiration at the age of 38 after joining Colors TV Tamil.
Upon comparing other visuals (here, here & here) of Vimala Pon with those of the viral image, it becomes evident that the woman depicted in the viral image is the Tamil Writer Vimala Pon. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has been serving as the Executive Director of Colors TV since 2017 and is not an IAS officer.
To sum it up, the Woman in the viral photo is a Tamil Writer and not an IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh.


text:
The Woman in This Photo is a Victim of Hate Crime, Not the Alleged Love Jihad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2023
A photo collage depicting a woman before and after an acid attack is being shared online, suggesting that she is a victim of alleged Love Jihad. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos depicting the transformation of a woman before and after an acid attack, linked to alleged Love Jihad
Fact: The woman in the photograph is Resham Khan. She and her cousin, both Muslims, were attacked by a person named John Tomlin in June 2017 in East London. The assailant surrendered and was charged with 16 years of imprisonment. The victims had no previous engagement with the attacker, and the police treated it as a hate crime. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the viral images led us to a news report by The Independent, which featured the same set of images in their article. The report confirms that the woman in the viral photographs is Resham Khan. In June 2017, on her 21st birthday in Beckton, east London, she, and her cousin Jameel Mukhtar were viciously attacked with acid by John Tomlin.
According to news reports by BBC (here & here) and The Guardian (here & here), the assailant surrendered to the London police in July 2017 and subsequently received a 16-year prison sentence for committing this heinous crime. The victims, who were Muslim, had no prior knowledge of the attacker, and the police treated it as a hate crime against them. It was revealed in court that the attacker has a history of emotional instability, a personality disorder, and numerous previous convictions, including violent offences, robbery, burglaries, and theft.
The victims have been in the process of recovery, and Resham Khan has been garnering attention across various platforms for her courageous comeback after the attack.
To sum it up, an incident of a hate crime in London, targeting two Muslim cousins, is being falsely associated with the alleged love jihad.


text:
The woman in this Picture with Aditya Thackeray is actress Disha Patani, not Rhea Chakraborty - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 4, 2020
A post questioning the fairness in the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case is doing rounds on social media. The post shares a photo claiming it to be of Sushant Singh’s alleged girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty with Maharastra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aditya Thackeray who is also a minister in Maharastra. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo of Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty with Shiv Sena leader & Maharashtra Minister Aditya Thackeray.
Fact: The women in the image along with Aditya Thackeray is not Rhea Chakraborty, she is actress Disha Patani. The image was clicked when the duo went for an outing back in June 2019 and several news portals reported the same. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we ran a reverse image search of the photo in the post, we found several news articles reporting the image. According to these news articles, the woman in the image along with Aditya Thackeray is Disha Patani, a Bollywood actress and the picture was clicked when the duo went on an outing back in June 2019. The news articles reporting this can be read here and here.
When we compare images of both Disha Patani and Rhea Chakraborty with that of the women in the car with Aditya Thackeray, we can conclude that the woman in the car is indeed Disha Patani.
The above post is being shared in the context of an FIR filed by Sushant Singh Rajput’s father K.K. Singh against Rhea Chakraborty for abetment of suicide.
To sum it up, the woman in the image with Aditya Thackeray is not Rhea Chakraborty.
Did you watch our new video?

created: August 4, 2020


text:
The Woman in this video was not arrested for not wearing a mask. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 23, 2020
A post with a video that shows a woman arrested by police is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the woman got arrested for not wearing a mask and the incident took place in Singapore. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a woman getting arrested for not wearing a mask in Singapore.
Fact: According to news articles, the woman got arrested for pouring soup on a stranger and biting him. The police also confirmed the same. The woman’s arrest has nothing to do with her not wearing a mask. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with the keywords ‘Singapore woman arrest for not wearing mask’ led us to a news article which carried images similar to the video in the post. According to the news article, the woman got arrested for pouring soup on a stranger, biting him and spitting at him at Novena Square, Singapore. The police also confirmed the same. Few other news articles which reported the same incident can be read here and here. With this, we can conclude that the woman was not arrested for not wearing a mask.
To sum it up, the woman in the video was arrested for pouring soup on a stranger and biting him. The arrest has nothing to do with her not wearing a mask.

created: October 23, 2020


text:
The Woman Modi is seen bowing to is the then Mayor of Tumkur, not Gautam Adani's wife - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 11, 2020
A photo of Narendra Modi bowing a woman is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the woman in the photo is the wife of Gautam Adani. Let’s try to analyze the extent of the truth in this post.
Photo of Narendra Modi bowing to Gautam Adani’s wife.
Fact: The woman whom Narendra Modi was bowing is Gita Rudresh, then mayor of Tumkur; she is not Gautam Adani’s wife. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo in the post was searched using Google reverse image technique, it was found that the photo was taken when Modi attended the inauguration of ‘India Food Park’ in Tumkur (Karnataka) in 2014. From a newspaper article attached in a tweet, it is learnt that the woman in the photo is Geeta Rudresh, the then Mayor of Tumkur in Karnataka.
@nistula PM Modi greets Tumkur Mayor Ms. Geetha Rudresh Yesterday. pic.twitter.com/vXcozjNOUC
Also, from the details of Modi’s visit published in ‘OneIndia Kannada’ article, it can be seen that Modi reached Tumkur helipad at 9:56 am and was welcomed by Tumkur Mayor, Gita Rudresh.
To sum it up, the woman whom Modi was seen bowing in the photo is not Gautam Adani’s wife; she is Gita Rudresh, the then Mayor of Tumkur.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
The woman seen along with Jayalalitha in this photo is not Nirmala Sitharaman - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 29, 2020
A black and white image of two women is doing rounds on social media with a claim that the women in the photo are former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Image of late Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Fact: In the image, the woman seen along with Jayalalitha is not Nirmala Sitharaman; she is Tamil author Sivasankari. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image is subjected to reverse image search technique, a Facebook post with the same image is found. In the post, the user wrote that the two women in the photo are Jayalalitha and Tamil writer Sivasankari. Also, the Tamil news website ‘Vikatan’ published the same photo in an article about Jayalalitha’s friends and in the article, the name of Sivasankari can be found. When you go through the old images of Sivasankari and Nirmala Sitharaman, it can be confirmed that the women on the right in the image is Tamil writer Sivasankari and not Nirmala Sitharaman as is being claimed.
To sum it up, the woman seen along with Jayalalitha in the photo is not Nirmala Sitharaman; she is Tamil writer Sivasankari.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
The woman seen singing in this video is not Indian playback singer Suman Kalyanpur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 1, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the latest visuals of 84-year-old Indian playback singer Suman Kalyanpur singing ‘Yaad Kiya Dilne Kaha Ho Tum’ song at an event. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing singer Suman Kalyanpur’s latest song performance at an event.
Fact: The woman singing in the video is Aruna Prakash, a resident of Juhu in Mumbai. Aruna Prakash performed this song during the International Elders Day 2021 celebrations organized by the AmbaGopal Foundation in October 2021. The video has nothing to do with Indian playback singer Suman Kalyanpur. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the video using relevant keywords on the internet, a video with similar visuals was found published by a Facebook user on 31 December 2021. Sharing the video, this user stated, “Lots of people have sent me this video some saying she is Sudha Malhotra, others saying she is Suman Kalyanpur. All of them are wrong. I have been told by a friend that the singer is Aruna Prakash who is a resident of Juhu.”
When we searched for further information about the woman seen singing in the video, a video showing the same woman was found published on the Facebook page of Aharveda. In the video, the woman introduced herself as Aruna Prakash from Mumbai and said she had recovered from arthritis after following the vegan diet prescribed by Dr. Harish Shetty for six months. ‘The Times of India’ published an article about Aruna Prakash in May 2020.
On observing the video shared in the post carefully, one could see the text, “AMBAGOPAL FOUNDATION WELCOMES YOU TO CELEBRATE THE INTERNATIONAL ELDERS DAY 2021” on the banner placed in the background of the stage. Upon searching for the video using this information, we found the same video posted on the AmbaGopal Foundation’s Facebook page on 02 October 2021. AmbaGopal Foundation published this video with the description, “International Elders Day 2021 is celebrated by AmbaGopal Foundation.”A few more pictures of this event were published on the AmbaGopal Foundation website.
Suman Kalyanpur is a well-known Indian playback singer of the 1960s and 1970s. A video showing Suman Kalyanpur’s live performance during an event in 2019 can be seen here. A comparison pictures of Aruna Prakash and Suman Kalyanpur can be seen below. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post does not show singer Suman Kalyanpur.
To sum it up, the woman seen singing in this video is not Indian playback singer Suman Kalyanpur.

created: December 1, 2022


text:
The woman shown in the video is an army officer's wife, not the wife of IAF pilot Abhinandan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 2, 2019
A video is being shared on Facebook with the title ‘Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan’s Wife Request to Modi Government – Don’t play politics’. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan’s wife requests the Modi government not to politicize the sacrifices of the soldiers
The woman shown in the video is not IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan’s wife. So, the claim is
The woman shown in the video is Sirisha Rao (Boom Live has used advanced searches to find the identity of the woman and contacted her to confirm that she was the one in the video). In the video, she says that she is a wife of an Indian army officer; but Abhinandan is an Indian Air Force Wing Commander. So, it can be concluded that she is not the wife of Abhinandan. Also, she has clarified on her Twitter account that her identity has been forged.
Finally, the video posted on Facebook as Wife of Abhinandan complaining on BJP is false.


text:
The Women spitting in plastic bags and throwing them into houses are not Muslims - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2020
A video of few women spitting in plastic bags & throwing them into houses is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the women seen in the video are Muslims. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Muslim women spitting in plastic bags and throwing them into the houses.
Fact: When FACTLY contacted Gaurav Yadav (Superintendent of Police, Kota City), he clarified that the women in the video are not Muslims. He said that they belong to Hindu Bawari caste. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the incident in the video, an ANI tweet regarding the video was found in the search results. From the tweet, it is learnt that the incident happened in the Vallabhvadi area of Kota. From another tweet, it can read that the women in the video are detained and ‘it was found that this incident isn’t connected with the aim of spreading #COVID19. The women had gone to the area to beg for money, but when they didn’t get any money they spit to show their anger’.
We've detained 4 women. After probe&interrogation, it was found that this incident isn't connected with aim of spreading #COVID19. These women had gone to the area to beg for money,but when they didn’t get any money they spit to show their anger: Gaurav Yadav, SP Kota. #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/ouLEmthg9y
When FACTLY contacted Gaurav Yadav (Superintendent of Police, Kota City), he clarified that the women in the video are not Muslims. He said that they belong to the Hindu Bawari caste. The names of the accused were found in the ‘Times Now News’ article.
More information regarding the incident can be found here and here.
To sum it up, the women spitting in plastic bags and throwing them into houses are not Muslims.
Did you watch our new video?


text:
The word ‘Google’ was derived from the mathematical number Googol; officially Google has no full form - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 14, 2022
A post stating ‘GOOGLE’ as an acronym for ‘Global Organization of Oriented Group of Languages on Earth’ is being widely shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Claim: ‘GOOGLE’ is an acronym for the ‘Global Organization of Oriented Group of Languages on Earth’.
Fact: The word ‘Google’ was derived from a misspelling of Google Co-Founder Larry Page’s originally planned name, googol. Googol is a mathematical term for the numeral one followed by 100 zeroes. Officially Google does not have an acronym. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether the term ‘Google’ is an acronym of any full form, we could not find any on the ‘About’ section of the Google website. Also, no such full form of Google was mentioned on the Alphabet website.
Google, in full Google LLC, is a US-based internet search engine company founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Describing the origin of the name Google, the Britannica website stated that the name Google was derived from a misspelling of Google Co-Founder Larry Page’s original planned name, googol. Googol is a mathematical term for the numeral one followed by 100 zeroes.
The History of Google described on the Google Arts & Culture website stated, “The Google company was officially launched in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin to market Google Search, which has become the most widely used web-based search engine. Page and Brin, students at Stanford University in California, developed a search algorithm- at first known as “BackRub” – in 1996”.
According to David Koller from Stanford University, in 1997, Larry Page and his officemates Sean Anderson, Tamara Munzner, and Lucas Pereira discussed several possible new names for the rapidly improving search technology. Describing the origin of the name ‘Google’, David Koller stated, “Sean and Larry were in their office, using the whiteboard, trying to think up a good name – something that related to the indexing of an immense amount of data. Sean verbally suggested the word “googolplex,” and Larry responded verbally with the shortened form, “googol” (both words refer to specific large numbers). Sean was seated at his computer terminal, so he executed a search of the Internet domain name registry database to see if the newly suggested name was still available for registration and use. Sean is not an infallible speller, and he made the mistake of searching for the name spelled as “google.com,” which he found to be available. Larry liked the name, and within hours he took the step of registering the name “google.com” for himself and Sergey (the domain name registration record dates from September 15, 1997)”. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be confirmed that Google officially does not have an acronym.
To sum it up, the word ‘Google’ was derived from the mathematical number Googol; officially Google has no full form.

created: September 14, 2022


text:
The worm spotted inside the green bell pepper in the video is not poisonous - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 24, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows the world’s tiniest poisonous snake found inside a green bell pepper or capsicum. Sharing the video, the post suggests people slice the green bell pepper before consuming or using it in cooking. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing a tiny poisonous snake inside the green bell pepper.
Fact: The video shows a mermithid nematode worm that can parasite off insects and spiders, but not humans. The said worms are not harmful to humans. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, we found that videos showing similar visuals were published on social media at least since 2019. Those posts can be seen here and here.
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords, we found an article that reported on this viral video in 2019. The news site reported that the worm found in the bell pepper, which belongs to either the nematomorph phylum or the nematode of the Mermithidae family, does not parasitize humans. Reporting the same, another news site also published an article in 2019. The worm does not attack the body and much less can cause death, and as per the reports, it doesn’t even live on peppers. One of the reports suspected that someone had intentionally put the worm inside the pepper for producing a video.
Speaking about the viral video, Ben Hanelt, a senior lecturer in biology at the University of New Mexico, told Snopes: “This is very likely a mermithid nematode. These are not pathogenic to humans; only to insects”.
The experts whom the AFP fact-check had consulted too confirmed that the worm appears to be a nematomorpha or nematoda. Maria Achinelly, a doctor of natural sciences, told AFP: “They are able to parasite off cockroaches. Lobsters, spiders, scorpions, but never animals like birds, reptiles, amphibians or humans. They are not dangerous to touch or ingest.”
To sum it up, the worm that was spotted inside the green bell pepper seem in the video does not parasitize humans.


text:
The young boy singing in this video is Kerala singer Aditya Suresh, not the grandson of S. P. Balasubrahmanyam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 22, 2024
Update (22 January 2024):
Another video of a child singing the song ‘ Kannodu Kanpathellam’ from the Tamil film ‘Jeans’ is being shared on social media, claiming the child to be the grandson of the Late S.P. Balasubrahmanyam (SPB).
But in our investigation, we found that, once again, an old video of Malayalam singer Adithya Suresh is being shared as a visual of  SPB’s grandson. To check the claim’s veracity, we searched the internet with relevant keywords and found the original upload on Adithya Suresh’s Facebook page from October 2020. We also learned that he performed the same song in the Malayalam reality TV show ‘Star Singer.’
Published (16 March 2022):
A post is being shared on social media claiming it as a live singing video of late singer S. P.  Balasubrahmanyam’s grandson. This video shows a young boy singing the ‘Malare Maunama’ song sung by SPB. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Singing video of late singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam’s grandson.
Fact: The young boy singing in the video is Aditya Suresh, a child singer from Kollam city in Kerala. Aditya Suresh who was diagnosed with ‘Brittle Bone’ disease by birth was passionate about singing and had participated in several musical shows in Kerala and other parts of the country.  Aditya Suresh is not the grand son of late singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals was found posted by a YouTube channel on 19 June 2020. This video was posted with the title, “Malare Mouname – Beautiful Singing by Adithya Suresh”. When we searched for more sources using relevant keywords, we found the same video published on Adithya Suresh’s Facebook page. In the comment section, when a user asked him whether he is the grandson of SPB, Adithya Suresh clarified that he is not the grandson of SPB and confirmed it is fake news.
Adithya Suresh is a popular child singer from Kollam city in Kerala. Aditya Suresh who was diagnosed with Brittle Bone disease by birth was passionate about singing and had done several musical shows in Kerala and other parts of the country. A few other videos of Aditya Suresh’s live performances can be seen here, here, and here. Aditya Suresh also got opportunities to sing in films. Aditya Suresh’s photo with his parents can be seen here.
The family pictures of late S. P. Balasubrahmanyam along with his grandchildren can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the boy singing in the video is child singer Aditya Suresh, and is not the grandson of the late singer SPB.
To sum it up, the young boy singing in this video is Kerala singer Aditya Suresh, not the grandson of the late singer SPB.

created: January 22, 2024


text:
The Zeenath Baksh Mosque in Karanataka’s Mangalore was not built on a Hindu temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2022
A video is being widely shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of an ancient temple that is converted into a Mosque in Karnataka’s Mangalore. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of an ancient temple that is now converted into a Mosque in Mangalore, Karnataka.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the ancient Zeenath Baksh Masjid located in the Bunder area in the city of Mangalore. This Masjid was believed to be constructed by the Arab traders in 644 AD, with the help of Raja Cheruman Perumal of Malabar. The Zeenath Baksh surpasses all other Mosques because of its pure Indian architecture style with beautiful rosewood and teakwood carved designs. Later, in the 17 century, Tipu Sultan renovated this Mosque and named it Zeenath Baksh, after his daughter. There is no evidence to prove that Zeenath Baksh Mosque was constructed on a Hindu temple. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When you observe the video carefully, you could see a watermark with the text, “Thousand shades of India”, on the top left portion of the video. On searching for the video using these keywords, a video with similar visuals was found posted on ‘The Thousand Shades of India’ Instagram handle on 20 December 2021. They mentioned it as the visuals of the ancient Zeenath Baksh Masjid, located in the Bunder area in the city of Mangalore. It is mentioned as the third oldest Mosque built in Karnataka.
A post shared by Thousand Shades of India (@thousandshadesofindia)
The history of the Zeenath Baksh Masjid was available on the ‘Karnataka Tourism‘ website and the Zeenath Baksh Masjid Facebook page. The Zeenath Baksh Masjid, also known as ‘Beliye Palli’ and ‘Jamma Masjid’, was believed to be established by the Arab traders, the Kith, and the Kin of Sahabas (Companions of Prophet Mohammed).  The Zeenath Baksh surpasses all other Mosques because of its pure Indian architecture style and it was said that the Mosque portrays the life stories of Prophet Mohammed. During the 7th century AD, Arab Muslim Traders have maintained very cordial relations with the local population as well as the Rulers of the Western coastal belt.  According to the details, Raja Cheruman Perumal from Malabar ensured Arab traders a proper accommodation, a place where they could trade, and even provided lands to build their Mosques.
Later, in the 17 century, Tipu Sultan renovated this Mosque with beautiful wooden carvings and named it Zeenath Baksh, after his daughter. Masjid Zeenath Baksh features impressive walls, doors, and floors decorated with rosewood and teakwood designs. There is no evidence to prove that the Zeenath Baksh Mosque in Bunder was constructed by demolishing a Hindu temple.
To sum it up, the Zeenath Baksh Mosque in Karanataka’s Mangalore was not built on a Hindu temple.


text:
దేశవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రభుత్వ స్కూళ్ళు, కాలేజీలలో చదువుకొని ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్, మొదలైన పరీక్షల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన ఉదాహరణలు అనేకం ఉన్నాయి - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 30, 2023
ప్రభుత్వ విద్యా విధానాన్ని విమర్శించే క్రమంలో ప్రభుత్వ స్కూళ్ళు, కాలేజీలలో చదివిన విద్యార్థులలో ఒక్కరు కూడా ఐఐటీ వంటి ప్రతిష్టాత్మక విద్యా సంస్థలకు సెలెక్ట్ కావడం లేదని చెప్తున్న ఒక వీడియో సోషల్ మీడియాలో విస్తృతంగా షేర్ అవుతోంది. ఈ కథనం ద్వారా వీడియోలో చెప్తున్న విషయానికి సంబంధించి నిజమేంటో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: ప్రభుత్వ స్కూళ్ళు, కాలేజీలలో చదివిన విద్యార్థులలో ఒక్కరు కూడా ఐఐటీ వంటి ప్రతిష్టాత్మక విద్యా సంస్థలకు సెలెక్ట్ కావడం లేదు.
ఫాక్ట్(నిజం): దేశవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రభుత్వ స్కూళ్ళు, కాలేజీలలో చదువుకొని ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్, మొదలైన పరీక్షల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన ఉదాహరణలు అనేకం ఉన్నాయి. తెలుగు రాష్ట్రాలలో కూడా ప్రభుత్వ విద్యా సంస్థలలో చదివి ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్ వంటి పోటీ పరీక్షల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన ఉదాహరణలు ఉన్నాయి. కావున పోస్టు ద్వారా చెప్పేది తప్పుదోవ పట్టించే విధంగా ఉంది.
సాధారణంగా ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్ సీట్లు సాధించే వారిలో ప్రైవేటు స్కూళ్ళు, కాలేజీలలో చదువుకునే వారి సంఖ్య ఎక్కువగా ఉంటుంది. కానీ ప్రభుత్వ స్కూళ్ళు, కాలేజీలలో చదువుకున్న విద్యార్థులు ఒక్కరు కూడా ఇలాంటి ప్రతిష్టాత్మక సంస్థలకు సెలెక్ట్ కావడం లేదన్న వాదన కరెక్ట్ కాదు.
దేశవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రభుత్వ విద్యా సంస్థలలో చదివి ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్ సీట్లు సాధించిన ఘటనలు చాలా ఉన్నాయి. ఉదాహారణకు ప్రభుత్వ సంస్థల్లో చదువుకొని ఇలా ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్, మొదలైన సీట్లు సాధించిన వార్తలను రిపోర్ట్ చేసిన కథనాలు ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ చూడొచ్చు.
ప్రభుత్వ విద్యా సంస్థలలో చదివి ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్ సీట్లు సాధించిన విద్యార్థులకు సంబంధించి అధికారిక గణాంకాలు లేనప్పటికీ, వార్తా కథనాల ప్రకారం ఈ మధ్య కాలంలో వీరి సంఖ్య పెరిగినట్టు తెలుస్తుంది. గత రెండేళ్లలో ఢిల్లీ ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలలో చదివి పోటీ పరీక్షల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన విద్యార్థుల సంఖ్య మూడు రెట్లు పెరిగిందని ముఖ్యమంత్రి అరవింద్ కేజ్రీవాల్ అన్నారు.
తెలుగు రాష్ట్రాలలో కూడా ప్రభుత్వ విద్యా సంస్థలలో చదివి ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్ వంటి పోటీ పరీక్షల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన ఉదాహరణలు ఉన్నాయి. దీనికి సంబంధించిన వార్తా కథనాలు ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ చూడొచ్చు. ఐతే ప్రభుత్వ విద్యాసంస్థల్లో చదువుకొని ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, మొదలైన వాటిల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన వారి సంఖ్య ప్రైవేటు విద్యా సంస్థలతో పోలిస్తే తక్కువ ఉండవచ్చు కానీ పోస్టులో షేర్ చేసిన వీడియోలో చెప్తున్నట్టు ప్రభుత్వ విద్యాసంస్థల్లో చదువుకున్న విద్యార్థులు ఒక్కరు కూడా సెలెక్ట్ కాలేదన్న వాదన మాత్రం కరెక్ట్ కాదు.
చివరగా, దేశవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రభుత్వ స్కూల్స్/కాలేజీలలో చదువుకొని ఐఐటీ, జేఈఈ, నీట్, మొదలైన పరీక్షల్లో సీట్లు సాధించిన ఉదాహరణలు అనేకం ఉన్నాయి.

created: October 30, 2023


text:
There are more elderly Women than Men in the country - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 26, 2016
MoSPI recently released a report on the elderly people in India. According to this report, a total of 103.9 million elderly people are living in India as of the 2011 Census. The number of elderly female is more than the number of elderly male. The decadal growth rate of elderly is almost twice that of the general population.
The Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation (MoSPI) recently released a report on elderly people in India. The report contains details of the various programs for the elderly apart from comprehensive data on the elderly in the country. According to the report, there are 103.9 million elderly people (aged 60 and above) in the country as per the 2011 Census. There are 52.8 million elderly female compared to 51.1 million elderly male.
More elderly female than male in the last two decades
According to the 1961 census, the population of elderly male and elderly female was more or less the same at 12.4 million. Since then, the population of elderly male was more than that of the elderly female till 1991 census. As per the 1991 census, there were 29.4 million elderly male compared to 27.3 million elderly female. In 2001, however, the population of elderly female overtook that of the elderly male which continued in 2011 also.
Proportion of elderly in the Urban areas increasing with every Census
In the 1961 Census, there were 21 million elderly in the rural areas compared to 3.7 million in the urban areas, which is just 15% of the total elderly population. The proportion of elderly living in urban areas has continuously increased with every census like the trend in general population. From 15% in 1961, the percentage of elderly living in urban areas has gone up to 29.5% in 2011.
The Proportion of elderly in the total population increased by more than 50% in 50 years
Due to better medical & health facilities, people are living longer. This is evident in the proportion of elderly in the total population. While the proportion of elderly in 1961 was just 5.6% of the total population, it increased to 8.6% in 2011. The proportion of elderly in the total population has continuously increased in the last 50 years and has grown by more than 50% from 1961 to 2011. This is also evident in the decadal growth of general population Vs the elderly. Between 2001 and 2011, the elderly population grew by 35.5% while the general population grew by only 17.7%.
Kerala has the highest proportion of elderly people
As per the 2011 census, Kerala has the highest proportion of elderly people with 12.6% followed by Goa with 11.2%. Tamil Nadu had the third highest proportion of elderly people with 10.4%. Only Punjab and Himachal Pradesh also had more than 10% elderly. Eleven states had a greater proportion of elderly than the national average of 8.6%. Six of the seven North-Eastern states were in the bottom ten when it comes to proportion of elderly. Arunachal Pradesh had only 4.6% elderly, the lowest in the country.
Featured Image: By Sukanto Debnath


text:
మణిపూర్ హింస నేపథ్యంలో సచిన్ టెండూల్కర్ ఈ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు ఎటువంటి రిపోర్ట్స్ లేవు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 25, 2023
మణిపూర్ హింసను ఉద్దేశించి మాజీ క్రికెటర్ సచిన్ టెండూల్కర్ స్పందించినట్టు చెప్తున్న పోస్ట్ ఒకటి సోషల్ మీడియాలో విస్తృతంగా షేర్ అవుతోంది. “మణిపూర్ హింసను భయంకరమైన, క్రురమైనదిగా అమెరికా పేర్కొనడం ఆక్షేపణీయం” అని టెండూల్కర్ అన్నట్టు ఈ పోస్టులో చెప్తున్నారు. అలాగే “మణిపూర్ సమస్య మా దేశ అంతర్గత సమస్య, ఈ విషయంలో ఇతర దేశాల జోక్యం, స్పందనలు అనవసరం” అని కూడా సచిన్ అన్నట్టు చెప్తున్నారు. ఐతే ఈ కథనం ద్వారా అందులో ఎంత నిజముందో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: “మణిపూర్ సమస్య మా దేశ అంతర్గత సమస్య, ఈ విషయంలో ఇతర దేశాల జోక్యం, స్పందనలు అనవసరం” – సచిన్ టెండూల్కర్
ఫాక్ట్(నిజం): మణిపూర్ హింసకు సంబంధించి సచిన్ టెండూల్కర్ ఈ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు ఎటువంటి రిపోర్ట్స్ లేవు. అసలు మణిపూర్ హింసను భయంకరమైన/క్రూరమైనది అని అమెరికా ప్రభుత్వం అభిప్రాయపడినట్టు కూడా ఎటువంటి రిపోర్ట్స్ లేవు. ఐతే ఇటీవల ఇద్దరు కూకి తెగకు చెందిన అమ్మాయిలను హింసించిన వీడియో వెలుగులోకి వచ్చిన అనంతరం ఈ ఘటనపై అడిగిన ప్రశ్నకు స్పందిస్తూ భారత్‌లోని అమెరికా రాయబారి ఎరిక్ గార్సెట్టి “ ఇది భారత్ అంతర్గత వ్యవహారం అని, భారత్ కోరితే తమ సహాయం అందిస్తామని” అన్నాడు. కావున పోస్టు ద్వారా చెప్పేది తప్పు.
పోస్టులో చెప్తున్నట్టు గతంలో రైతుల నిరసనపై అమెరికా పాప్ స్టార్ రిహన్న వ్యాఖ్యానించిన సమయంలో  ఇది దేశ అంతర్గత వ్యవహారం అని సచిన్ టెండూల్కర్ స్పందించిన మాట నిజమే అయినప్పటికీ ప్రస్తుత మణిపూర్ హింసను ఉద్దేశించి ఇప్పటివరకైతే సచిన్ ఎటువంటి వ్యాఖ్యలు చేయలేదు.
ఒక వేళ సచిన్ నిజంగా అలాంటి వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసివుంటే, దేశంలోని అన్ని ప్రముఖ వార్తా సంస్థలు ఈ విషయాన్నీ రిపోర్ట్ చేసేవి. కానీ, ఈ విషయాన్ని ఏ ఒక్క వార్తా సంస్థ అయిన రిపోర్ట్ చేసినట్టు మాకు ఆధారాలు దొరకలేదు.
అసలు మణిపూర్ హింసను భయంకరమైన/క్రూరమైనది అని అమెరికా ప్రభుత్వం అభిప్రాయపడినట్టు కూడా ఎటువంటి రిపోర్ట్స్ లేవు. ఐతే ఇటీవల మణిపూర్ హింసకు సంబంధించి ఇద్దరు కూకి తెగకు చెందిన అమ్మాయిలను హింసించిన వీడియో వెలుగులోకి వచ్చిన అనంతరం ఈ ఘటనపై అడిగిన ప్రశ్నకు స్పందిస్తూ భారత్‌లోని అమెరికా రాయబారి ఎరిక్ గార్సెట్టి “ఇది భారత్ అంతర్గత వ్యవహారం అని, భారత్ కోరితే తమ సహాయం అందిస్తామని” అన్నాడు (ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ).
అంతకు ముందు మణిపూర్ హింస నేపథ్యంలో అక్కడికి ప్రయాణించే తమ దేశీయులకు అమెరికా ప్రభుత్వం ఒక హెచ్చరికను జారీ చేసింది. ఐతే అమెరికా రాయబారి వ్యాఖ్యలపై సచిన్ స్పందించినట్టు ఎటువంటి రిపోర్ట్స్ లేవు.
చివరగా, మణిపూర్ హింస నేపథ్యంలో సచిన్ టెండూల్కర్ ఈ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు ఎటువంటి రిపోర్ట్స్ లేవు.


text:
There are no reports stating that the Indian population surpassed the Chinese - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 9, 2022
A social media post claims that on 04 March 2022, India has overtaken China as the most populous country in the world. Also, the post claims India’s population is 1,415,653,821. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: On 04 March 2022, India has overtaken China as the most populous country in the world.
Fact: There are no official reports from the Indian/ Chinese governments in this regard. No international agency of repute has claimed that Indian population has surpassed the Chinese. The viral claim started off from a news piece by I-Media, a media outlet based in Taiwan. However, the news report did not provide any authentic source of the Indian population. Hence the claim made in the post is MISEADING.
According to a news report published by popular Chinese media network CGTN, I-Media, a news outlet in the Taiwan region, published an article stating that as of 04 March 2022, India has surpassed China and became the most populous country, with its population reaching 1,415,653,821. Most likely, this news report could be the source for the viral post. However, the CGTN article ruled out the claim of I-Media, as their source for the Indian population is not authentic and there are no recent official reports either from India or China in this regard.
Usually, India conducts the Census survey once every ten years. The last census report released in 2011 puts India’s population count at 1,210,193,422. In wake of the pandemic, the latest census survey ought to be conducted in 2021, got delayed to the first half of 2022.
Therefore, there is no official data from the Indian government as far as the current population figure is concerned. If indeed any such survey states that the Indian population has surpassed the Chinese, media would have reported it, however, we could not find any such reports.
Earlier in 2021, the United Nations Population Division estimated the real-time population count of India as  1.4 billion. Whereas in 2020, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the World Bank estimated India’s population as 1.38 billion.
Few real-time population tracking websites using data from the UN population division projected the current Indian population at around 1.403 billion. As per the latest government data, the total population of mainland China stood at 1.4126 billion by the end of 2021. This shows that currently, the total population of India is still less than China.
The United Nations had earlier predicted that India would overtake China as the most populous country by 2027. In fact, experts predicted India would surpass China even earlier than predicted by the UN. However, there are no recent studies or reports from governments or international organizations of repute claiming Indian population surpassed the Chinese.
To sum it up, there are no reports stating that the Indian population surpassed the Chinese.


text:
There are no reports of Muslims in Kerala demanding a ban on the sacred 'Om' chant as it is against Islam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 15, 2022
A post is being shared on social media which claims that Muslims of Kerala have demanded a ban on the chant Om, which is sacred for Hindus. The post contains a screengrab of a Times Now news clip, the text on which states Islamists oppose Om. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Muslims of Kerala have demanded a ban on the sacred ‘Om’ chant because it is against Islam.
Fact: The screengrab of the news clip is from a Times Now report on an incident that happened in a school in Kerala. As per media reports,  two teachers of a Kerala government school were sent on leave when the school administration received complaints from parents over their children getting pamphlets with religious symbols. There are no reports of Muslims in Kerala demanding a ban on Om. Hence the claim made in the post is Misleading.
The viral post contains a screengrab of a Times Now report in which we found the text #OmNotAllowed. We searched the internet and found a tweet by Times Now and a news report. The tweet reads ‘#Breaking | ‘Islamists’ oppose ‘Om’ in Kerala. 2 teachers have been punished for writing ‘Om.’’ A video report that is embedded in the post has a frame at 1.50 that matches with the screenshot that is in the post.
The news report on this incident by Times Now also contains the same video. Several other media outlets have also reported on this incident that happened in February 2020, which can be read here, here and here. Reportedly, two teachers of a government school in Kerala were sent on leave for distributing pamphlets with Om.
A probe was conducted by the school’s administration on this issue and was submitted to the government. A senior official of the Educational Department told NDTV ‘There were efforts from certain parties to give it a communal agenda and spark religious tension. But the locals and the Parents’ Teachers Association did not allow them to take matters in their hands.’
Nowhere in the news reports (here, here and here) which covered this incident is the mention of Muslims of Kerala demanding a ban on Om, which the viral post claims. Searching the internet also did not yield any relevant information.
To sum up, this social media post falsely claims that Muslims of Kerala have demanded a ban on the sacred ‘Om’ chant because it is against Islam.

created: September 15, 2022


text:
There are no reservations in Central Government institutions based solely on religion - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 4, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Muslims and Christians are provided reservation in government institutions in Delhi. The post even claims that, because of Sonia Gandhi, since 2008, those government institutions have had such a low number of Hindu officers. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Since 2008, reservations were given to Muslims and Christians in Central government institutions; hence such low number of Hindu officers in those institutions.
Fact: The list of central government officers is available in the official websites of their respective institutions. When the list of officers working in President’s Secretariat, Vice President’s Secretariat, and Prime Minister’s Office is seen, most of the officers are Hindus. As per the constitution of India, reservation cannot be granted solely based on religion; it does not discriminate people based on religion. There is no rule which provides reservation specifically to Muslims and Christians in the central government institutions. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The list of central government officers is available on the official websites of the respective institutions. For instance, the list of officers in three institutions is taken & compared with the numbers provided in the post. The details are given below.
President’s Secretariat:
The list of officers working at the President of India’s secretariat can be seen on the official website of the President’s secretariat. The claim made in the post that out of 49 posts, 45 are Muslims and Christians, and only 4 are Hindus, is not true. According to the data given on the website, there are some 36 officers and most of them have Hindu names.
Vice President Secretariat:
The list of officers working at the Vice President of India’s secretariat can be seen on the official website of the Vice President’s secretariat. The claim made in the post that out of 7 posts, 7 are Muslims and Christians, and none are Hindus, is not true. According to the data given on the website, there are some 52 officers and most of them have Hindu names.
The list of officers working at the Prime Minister’s Office can be seen on the PM’s website. The claim made in the post that out of 35 posts, 33 are Muslims and Christians, and only 2 are Hindus, is not true. According to the data given on the website, there are some 49 officers and most of them have Hindu names.
As per the constitution of India, reservation cannot be granted solely based on religion; it does not discriminate against people based on religion. There is no rule which provides reservation specifically to Muslims and Christians in the central government institutions. The government also does not maintain such a list based solely on religion.
To sum it up, there are no reservations in central government institutions solely based on religion.


text:
There has been research about human ovary growing new eggs in adulthood, which is disputed among scientists - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 5, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that a female foetus is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her lifetime. The post further claims that, hence, one’s grandmother carried part of them inside their womb. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: A female foetus is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her lifetime.
Fact: This statement, “a female foetus is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her lifetime”, is not unanimously accepted in the scientific community. Though it is widely believed to be true, some recent research gives a possibility of ovaries growing new eggs , however, the research is not yet 100% definitive about the statement.
According to Cleveland Clinic, “During foetal life, there are about 6 million to 7 million eggs. From this time, no new eggs are produced. At birth, there are approximately 1 million eggs; and by the time of puberty, only about 300,000 remain. Of these, only 300 to 400 will be ovulated during a woman’s reproductive lifetime. Fertility can drop as a woman ages due to decreasing number and quality of the remaining eggs.” (At an early stage, to be precise, it’s called the ova or oocytes (egg cells)).
There is a possibility of the formation of new eggs during adult life, according to some research. One small study involving cancer patients showed such signs. The group which did the study identified what appeared to be stem cell populations in the ovaries. The existence of an ovarian stem cell reserve is disputed among scientists.
‘Although the research is promising, Telfer warned against the apparent eagerness of some fertility clinics to offer novel treatments before the basic science is well understood. “There’s so much we don’t know about the ovary. We have to be very cautious about jumping to clinical application.”’
According to this 2004 study published in nature, Ovaries may lay new eggs. “US researchers have unearthed evidence in a mouse’s ovary of stem cells that churn out fresh eggs during its reproductive years. This suggests ovaries have more in common with the male’s testicular sperm factory than had been thought.”
One such research in 2012 “has demonstrated that adult mouse and human ovaries contain a rare population of progenitor germ cells called oogonial stem cells capable of dividing and generating new oocytes.”
However, the research is not yet 100% definitive. There is no conclusive evidence that new eggs are produced, yet from this research. This is ongoing area of study.
Technically, a maternal grandmother carrying a part of them inside her womb can be true as there are many eggs during foetal life. All humans start as a single fertilised cell containing 1/2 of the mother’s DNA and the father’s DNA.
To sum it up, there has been research about human ovary growing new eggs in adulthood, which is disputed among scientists.


text:
There is no ‘Article 30(A)’ in the Constitution which bans teaching ‘Gita’ and ‘Ramayana’ in schools - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 22, 2019
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that only removing the Article 30A will allow schools to teach ‘Gita’ and ‘Ramayana’. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Article 30A restricts teaching ‘Gita’ and ‘Ramayana’ at schools.
Fact: There is no Article 30A in the Indian Constitution. Also, Article 30 (1, 1A and 2) deals with the ‘rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the Article 30A in the Indian Constitution, it was found that there is no ‘Article 30A’ in the constitution. There are articles 30(1), 30(1A) and 30. But, they also deal with the ‘rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions’.
Article 30(1) enables all the minorities (based on religion or language) to establish and administer the educational institutions of their choice. The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) was set up in 2004 and protects the rights of minorities enshrined in Article 30. The guidelines released by the NCMEI for the ‘determination of Minority Status, Recognition, Affiliation and related matters in respect of Minority Educational Institutions under the Constitution of India’ can be read here. Also, an overview of the educational development of Minorities can be read here.
To sum it up, there is no ‘Article 30(A)’ in the Constitution which bans teaching ‘Gita’ and ‘Ramayana’ in schools.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: November 22, 2019


text:
There is no Central Government scheme with the name - ‘Pradhan Mantri Loan Yojana’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2022
A post regarding a scheme, ‘Pradhan Mantri Loan Yojana’, is being shared widely on social media with the claim that the scheme provides a subsidised loan of up to 20 lakh rupees. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Subsidised loans available under the Central Government scheme – ‘Pradhan Mantri Loan Yojana’.
Fact: There is no such scheme under the Central Government. The ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ has also tweeted saying that there is no Central Government scheme with the name – ‘Pradhan Mantri Loan Yojana’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched about the scheme, there was no information regarding the scheme on any of the government portals. Also, there were no media reports on the scheme. If there was any such government scheme, the media would have reported about its launch.
FACTLY tried to call the number given in the post, but it was switched off. The App store link given in the post directs people to a private application. The website provided on the ‘प्रधानमंत्री लोन योजना INDIA’ Facebook page is also not working. One can see that the ‘Pradhan’ is spelled wrong (as ‘prdhan’) in the website address.
Also, on multiple occasions, the ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ has tweeted saying that there is no such central government scheme. Those tweets can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, there is no central government scheme with the name – ‘Pradhan Mantri Loan Yojana’.


text:
There is no central government scheme with the name ‘Pradhan Mantri Shishu Vikas Yojana (PMSVY)’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 28, 2020
A post regarding a scheme, ‘Pradhan Mantri Shishu Vikas Yojana’ (PMSVY), is being shared widely on social media with the claim that the scheme provides a lot of monetary benefits to children (of age 5-16 years) studying in the government schools. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Monetary benefits under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Shishu Vikas Yojana’ scheme for children (age 5-16 years) studying in the government schools.
Fact: There is no such scheme under the Central Government. The ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ has also tweeted saying that the viral message is fake. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the scheme, there was no information regarding the scheme on any of the government portals. Also, there were no media reports on the scheme. If there was any such government scheme, the media would have reported about its launch. Two websites (https://pmsvy-cloud.in/Home/Index and http://www.pmsvy.com/index.aspx)  on the name of the scheme were found in the search results. FACTLY tried to call the numbers given on the websites but none of them were answered. Details regarding the websites can be seen below.
Also, the ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ has tweeted saying that there is no such central government scheme and the viral message is fake.
To sum it up, there is no central government scheme with the name ‘Pradhan Mantri Shishu Vikas Yojana (PMSVY)’.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?

created: February 28, 2020


text:
There is no communal angle in the molestation incident reported in Gaya - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2023
A video of a few men molesting a woman is being widely shared with a claim that the video shows four Muslim men molesting a Hindu woman in Bihar. Additionally, sharing the video, a social media post complained about the lack of response from the police. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Muslim men molesting a Hindu woman in Bihar.
Fact: The incident took place in Gulariya Chak village of Gaya. As the video went viral, police took cognizance of the incident, and arrested three of the five accused and registered an FIR. All the arrested accused are Hindus. And the police had categorically refuted reports of any communal angle associated to the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Through an internet search using appropriate keywords, we discovered social media posts from a local news agency that featured identical videos (available here and here). According to these posts, the incident occurred in Gulariya Chak village of Gaya, which is within the jurisdiction of the Magadh Medical College police station. While a couple was conversing, several men arrived at the scene and proceeded to sexually harass the woman in the presence of her boyfriend, capturing the incident on video.
लड़की के साथ सरेआम जबरदस्ती करने वाले दो युवक अरेस्ट… वीडियो से हुई पहचान
बाकी की तलाश जारी
बिहार के गया में मगध मेडिकल थाना क्षेत्र के गुलरियाचक गांव में एक लड़की से चार-पांच मनचलों द्वारा अश्लील हरकत करने के वायरल वीडियो मामले में त्वरित कार्रवाई करते हुए पुलिस ने दो… https://t.co/FTrWAdZHII pic.twitter.com/yxYjmRU9oB
Another news article that reported the viral video, presenting the same information details as mentioned above can be read here.
As the video went viral on social media, police took cognizance of the incident and arrested two of the accused. Further, the search yielded a series of tweets from Gaya police’s official Twitter account. Through one such tweet, SP Himanshu released a video, stating that upon learning about the viral video, the police promptly acted by filing a FIR. He also stated that two of the five accused are identified as Jitendra Kumar and Abhishek Kumar and the other three had also been identified.
गया पुलिस की कार्रवाई, सोशल मीडिया पर छेड़खानी से संबंधित वायरल विडियों का संज्ञान लेते हुए कांड दर्ज कर घटना में संलिप्त 02 अपराधकर्मियों की 24 घंटा के अन्दर की गयी गिरफ्तारी का विवरण:-@bihar_police @IPRD_Bihar @thegreatkbc #GayaPolice#gaya_police_at_your_service pic.twitter.com/49J7MJSLWr
In addition, Gaya Police issued a press statement announcing the arrest of the third suspect named Nitish Kumar. The press release categorically refuted the communal angle associated with the incident.
मगध मेडिकल थाना अन्तर्गत ग्राम खुरार चकरनी घाट में छेड़खानी से संबंधित सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल वीडियो के संबंध में :-@bihar_police @IPRD_Bihar @thegreatkbc #GayaPolice#gaya_police_at_your_service pic.twitter.com/mx9Bu0FE3d
Therefore, contrary to the viral claim, it is evident that there is no communal angle to the incident, considering that most of the accused individuals have been identified as Hindus.
To sum it up, there is no communal angle to the molestation incident reported in Gaya.


text:
'Jai Bholenath' tattooed on a Muslim youth’s forehead in Bareilly - No Communal Angle in the incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 8, 2023
A video of a burqa-clad woman complaining about how some miscreants tattooed her mentally ill son’s forehead is being circulated widely across social media platforms. The video is being shared with a claim that Hindu vigilantes tattooed ‘Jai Bholenath’ on the forehead of a Muslim boy by heating iron rods and that the incident took place in UP’s Bareilly district. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Hindu vigilantes tattooed ‘Jai Bholenath’ on the forehead of a Muslim boy by heating iron rods, in UP’s Bareilly district.
Fact: The victim and the accused in this incident belong to minority community and are cousins. According to the police, the accused had written a religious phrase on the victim’s forehead, using a marker pen. Further the victim’s family requested a compromise in the matter, leading to the decision not to register an FIR. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
It is true that a Muslim boy’s forehead has been tattooed in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. However, there is no communal angle in this incident, as both the victim and the individuals responsible belong to the same Muslim community.
Online search with appropriate keywords directed us to a tweet from the official Bareilly police Twitter account, in which they were addressing a tweet that contained similar allegations as the viral post. According to the tweet from the Bareilly police, the individual responsible for the incident has been identified as Shadab Khan, who is a cousin of the victim. He used a marker pen to write a religious phrase. Furthermore, it was noted that the victim’s mother did not file a complaint because they are relatives.
प्रकरण में जांच से पाया गया है कि शादाब खान नाम के व्यक्ति ने अपने ममेरे भाई के माथे पर लगभग 05 दिन पहले मार्कर पेन से एक धार्मिक वाक्य लिख दिया था, जो अब हल्का पड़ गया है। पीड़ित की मां ने इस संबंध में कोई भी कार्यवाही करने से इन्कार कर शिकायती प्रार्थना पत्र नहीं दिया है।
Further search yielded a news article that covered the incident. According to the report, both the victim and the accused belong to a minority community. “Inspector Rajesh Kumar stated that the family initially requested a compromise in the matter, leading to the decision not to register an FIR,” the report added.
Furthermore, in our communication with the Premnagar police, they explicitly rejected any communal connection to the incident. They also reaffirmed that both the victim and the accused are cousins and that the accused had indeed used a marker to write ‘Jai Bholenath’ on the victim’s forehead. The family of the victim chose not to file a formal case.
To sum it up, there is no communal angle to the incident, wherein a religious sentence is tattooed on a Muslim youth’s forehead in Bareilly.

created: September 8, 2023