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Viral Video is not related to food adulteration incident in Haryana - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 21, 2023
A video depicting certain individuals misbehaving with hotel staff is being widely on social media. The claim accompanying the video asserts that it exposes Shama Biryani Dhaba in Pinjore, Haryana, for allegedly using drain water in their Biryani preparation. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video exposing Biryani Dhaba in Pinjore, Haryana for using drain water in Biryani Preparation.
Fact: Police and local media reports confirm that the incident is related to the restaurant discharging sewage water. Workers of the Bajrang Dal lodged a complaint against the restaurant owner, leading to his written apology. Neither the complaint nor the apology letter from the Dhaba owner mentions the use of drain water in Biryani preparation. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Conducting an internet search using relevant keywords led us to a local news report concerning this video. As per the report, a recent complaint was raised with the Pinjore police station by workers of Bajrang Dal regarding the prolonged spreading of filth on the road by Sham Dhaba. When the video addressing this issue gained traction on social media, Shama Dhaba’s owner, Suwan Ali, issued a written apology for the situation and pledged to avoid such actions in the future. Nevertheless, neither the complaint nor the apology letter from the Dhaba owner makes any mention of the utilization of drain water in Biryani preparation.
Additionally, in a conversation with the media, restaurant owner Suwan Ali denied the allegation of using sewage water for food preparation. He clarified that the incident transpired on the night of 14 August 2023. With the sweeper, who typically cleans the gutter daily, being absent for two consecutive days, the sewage water began overflowing. The staff on-site stored the unclean water in a ground-level tank due to the absence of a nearby drain, intending to dispose of it later via a tanker. Given the limited tank capacity, a portion of the unclean water was drained onto the road. Subsequently, certain individuals arrived at the shop and behaved improperly with the hotel staff. Ali also shared a video with the Newsmobile showing the drinking water facilities at his restaurant.
Contrary to the viral claim, the Pinjore police confirmed that this is not a case of selling Biryani cooked in contaminated water. The actual issue pertained to nearby shops having a grievance against the Biryani shop due to the discharge of polluted water onto the road. During this time, a few individuals mistreated the Biryani Hotel staff. However, the matter was later resolved through a discussion involving both parties. Although we were unable to independently verify the restaurant’s hygiene practices, it is evident that the viral video does not depict the incident of Shama Biryani Dhaba employing drain water in Biryani preparation.
To sum it up, a video depicting an incident involving a restaurant discharging sewage water is being circulated as if it were showing the use of drain water in food preparation.


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Viral Video of Anti-Modi Protest in London is unrelated to recent IT Survey on BBC - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 21, 2023
A video of a group of people holding a banner with the text ‘Resign Modi’ and shouting slogans while standing on a bridge is being widely shared across social media platforms claiming that the visuals show people protesting against the Indian PM after the recent Income Tax survey on BBC offices in India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of people shouting ‘Resign Modi’ in London after recent IT survey in BBC offices in India.
Fact: On 15 August 2021, members of the ‘South Asia Solidarity Group’, a UK-based organization that opposes imperialism and racism, protested against Indian PM Modi due to his alleged involvement in unacceptable practices. They raised anti-Modi slogans and displayed a ‘Resign Modi’ banner from London’s Westminster Bridge. However, it should be noted that the Income Tax department conducted searches at BBC offices in India in February 2023, suggesting that the viral video is unrelated to this incident. As a result, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
An internet search with relevant keywords revealed that the extended version of the video that is now viral was previously posted on YouTube on 15 August 2021, by the ‘South Asia Solidarity Group’.
As per their website, The South Asia Solidarity Group (SASG) is a British-based organization that describes itself as anti-imperialist and anti-racist. The group’s website describes the organization as one that aims to support and promote struggles for justice and democracy in South Asia while opposing exploitation, gender and caste-based oppression, imperialism, war, and what they refer to as the “war on terror.” According to the video description, members of the diaspora and supporters of India displayed a large ‘Resign Modi’ banner on London’s Westminster Bridge on 15 August 2021. Prior to this, they held a candlelight vigil outside the Indian High Commission.
At that time, multiple news outlets covered this incident. A few of them can be seen here, here, and here. However, it should be noted that the Income Tax department conducted searches at BBC offices in India in February 2023, indicating that the viral video is not related to this particular event.
To sum it up, old and unrelated video is being shared as people raising anti-Modi slogans over IT raids on BBC offices in India.

source: news-factly

created: February 21, 2023

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Viral Video of Ayyappan Devotee Singing Muslim Prayer Not from Kerala Temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 28, 2023
A video is being widely shared on social media, claiming to show a devotee of Lord Ayyappan singing a Muslim prayer, “La ilaha illallah,” during a bhajan at a temple in Kerala. The post alleges that this incident occurred due to the appointment of Muslim and Christian people as priests in Hindu temples. The post also blames the Congress party and the Communist government for destroying the Hindu Culture. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of an Ayyappan Devotee singing a Muslim prayer during Bhajan at a temple in Kerala.
Fact: The video is not from a temple in Kerala but rather from a Padi Puja event held in Eluru City, Andhra Pradesh in 2017. Furthermore, over the years, there have been numerous instances of Ayyappan devotees incorporating references to Vavar Swami, a devotee of Lord Ayyappan, and Islamic phrases into their songs. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Through a thorough internet search using appropriate keywords, we were able to locate the complete version of the viral video on YouTube. The video, which was posted in 2019 and titled “La ilaha illallah ayyappa swamula songs,” showcases devotees singing Ayyappan Bhajans while incorporating Islamic prayer phrases. The lead singer converses in Telugu and alludes to Vavar Swami during the song. Also, the Orchestra banner visible at 3:49 is written in the Telugu Language.
Building upon this lead, we conducted a deeper search and discovered several other videos of the same event uploaded on YouTube in 2017. These videos reveal that the event in question is the Ayyappa Swami Padi Puja, which took place at Chalasani Gardens, a function hall situated in the city of Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. Some of the videos of the event can be seen here, here, and here.
A comparison of the viral video with visuals of Chalasani Gardens confirms that the event took place at the function hall and not at a temple in Kerala. The Singer in the viral video, N Balaji, also confirmed the same to India Today in 2021.
Why Islamic references in Ayyappan Bhajan?
According to Sabarimala Devasthanam’s website,  Vavar, also known as Vavaruswami was a Muslim saint who became a devotee of Lord Ayyappa. There is a shrine dedicated to Vavaruswami at Sabarimala, as well as Vavaruswami’s mosque at Erumeli next to Erumeli Sastha temple. Over the years, there have been several instances of Ayyappan devotees including references to Vavar Swami and Islamic phrases in their songs. Some of them can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, the video claiming to show Ayyappa devotees singing Islamic chants at a temple in Kerala is actually from a ‘padi pooja’ event in Andhra Pradesh, where devotees were singing in praise of Vavar Swamy.


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Viral Video of Woman Occupying Bus Driver's Seat is a Scene from a Comedy Short Film - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 16, 2023
A video has been widely shared on social media, purporting to show a real-life incident of a woman and her mother-in-law boarding a crowded bus in Rajasthan. The video shows the mother-in-law finding a seat, while the daughter-in-law takes the driver’s seat when the driver is not present. When the driver returns and asks her to vacate the seat, the daughter-in-law reportedly argues with him and refuses to move, telling him to sit somewhere else and drive from ther. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of real-life incident of a woman sitting in the driver’s seat of a crowded bus in Rajasthan, refusing to move, and arguing with the driver to sit somewhere else and drive the bus.
Fact: The video is actually a scene from a Rajasthani comedy short film starring actress Hema Prajapat and does not depict any real-life incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
An internet search with relevant keywords led us to the full video uploaded on YouTube in 2020 which identifies itself as a Rajasthani Comedy short film. The title and description also include the name of the lead actress, Hema Prajapat.
Taking a cue from this, we conducted additional research and found that Hema Prajapat has acted in several other short films that involve mother-in-law and daughter-in-law comedy scenarios, including some that feature the other actress (Kamla Solanki) seen in the viral video. A few of them can be seen here, here and here.
To sum it up, the video being shared as a real-life incident of a woman sitting in the driver’s seat and arguing with him is actually a scene from a Rajasthani comedy short film.


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Viral video shows 2022 Sri Lankan Protests, not Adivasi Diwas celebrations - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2023
In the context of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, celebrated on 09 August every year, a video depicting a massive crowd gathered in the streets around a building is being widely shared on social media claiming that the footage shows the crowd assembled on 09 August to commemorate this day. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a massive crowd gathered to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on 09 August 2023.
Fact: The Video is taken on 09 July 2022 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Visuals show demonstrators protesting inside the Presidential Secretariat (Old Parliament building) premises, Colombo, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country’s economic crisis. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Conducting a reverse image search on the keyframes extracted from the viral video revealed that the same video had been uploaded on YouTube on 09 July 2022. The video portrays visuals of protesters taking over the Sri Lankan old parliament building during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests.
Similar visuals regarding this incident were reported by National and International media outlets (here, here, here, and here). According to these reports, on 09 July 2022, demonstrators protested inside the Presidential Secretariat (Old Parliament building) premises, Colombo, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country’s economic crisis.
However, on 09 August 2023, people belonging to various tribal communities celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous across India and around the world. Some of these visuals can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, visuals from the 2022 Sri Lankan Protests are being circulated as those of a crowd gathering for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on 09 August 2023.


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Viral video shows a clip from a flight simulator video game, not a real-life incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 23, 2023
A video depicting a Qantas Airways flight landing at an airport, only to immediately take off again due to another plane from Emirates Airways accidentally entering the runway, is being widely shared on social media claiming it as a real incident. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Qantas Airways flight taking off after an Emirates Airways plane suddenly entered the runway.
Fact: The video does not show any real- life incident. It is a clip from a flight simulator video game. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Initially, we conducted an internet search using relevant keywords to determine whether any recent incident of this nature had occurred. But couldn’t find any media reports about such an event.  Furthermore, both Qantas and Emirates Airways have not issued any statements regarding such an occurrence.
Subsequently, we conducted a reverse image search using keyframes extracted from the viral video. This search led us to discover a high-quality version of the same video, which had been uploaded on YouTube by a channel called “Aviation for Everyone” on 24 July 2023.
Upon closely examining the disparities within the video, it becomes evident that it is not authentic footage, but rather an animated creation. Furthermore, the video’s description explicitly refers to it as a segment from the video game titled “X-Plane Flight Simulator.” The channel’s description also clarifies its content is comprised of clips from various video games, all intended solely for entertainment purposes.
To sum it up, a clip from a video game is shared as a real incident of a near-miss accident between two planes on a runway.


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Viral video shows a Jain Shrine in Jharkhand, not Ayodhya Ram Mandir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 1, 2024
A video showing the beautiful architecture of a temple, featuring moving pillars, is being widely shared on social media claiming that the video showcases the newly inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of the newly built Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
Fact: The video shows a Jain shrine named Shri Sammed Shikharji Taleti Tirth. It is at the foothills of the Parasnath hills in Jharkhand. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we compared the viral visuals with that of the newly built Ayodhya Ram Mandir and found that the viral video does not show the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
Next, a reverse image search of the viral video led us to the same video, which was first uploaded by a user named Rohan Jain on 29 December 2023. In the description, Jain stated that the video showcases the Shri Sammed Shikharji Taleti Tirth (Shrine) located in Madhuban, Jharkhand.
Comparing the architecture in the viral video with that of this Jain Shrine confirms that the viral video indeed depicts the Shri Sammed Shikharji Taleti Tirth in Jharkhand.
Shri Sammed Shikharji Taleti Tirth is a newly constructed Jain Shrine situated at the foothills of the Parasnath hills in Jharkhand. The site comprises 31 temples, each dedicated to a different Tirthankara or Jain saint. The primary temple is the Jal Mandir, where the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha, attained Moksha. The shrine’s social media accounts previously shared videos (here and here) of the rotating pillars seen in the viral video.
A post shared by श्री समेतशिखर तलेटी तीर्थ (@taletitirth)
To sum it up, the viral video showcases the Shri Sammed Shikharji Taleti Tirth in Jharkhand and not the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh.

created: February 1, 2024


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Viral video shows actress Urfi Javed at a Mumbai fashion show, not Smriti Irani in the parliament - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 18, 2023
In light of Union Minister Smriti Irani’s allegations against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding a flying kiss incident in the Indian Parliament, a video of a woman is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows Smriti Irani wearing attire deemed indecent for the Indian Parliament. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Union Minister Smriti dressed in inappropriate attire at the Indian Parliament.
Fact: The woman in the viral video is not Smriti Irani. Video features actress Urfi Javed during a Fashion event in Mumbai in May 2023. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Conducting a Reverse Image Search on the viral video yielded multiple older videos dated May 2023. These videos explicitly identified the individual in the footage as actress Urfi Javed, rather than Smriti Irani.
Subsequently, further research unveiled the complete video, which captures Urfi Javed dressed in the same attire as seen in the viral video at the Beti Fashion Fundraiser show held in Mumbai in May 2023. Corroborative media reports concerning this event can be read here and here.
To sum it up, the viral video features actress Urfi Javed participating in a Mumbai fashion show, and not Smriti Irani in Indian Parliament.


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Unrelated visuals shared as  Chandrayaan-3's landing footage - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 29, 2023
Update (29 August 2023):
Another video, claiming to depict the visuals of Chandrayaan-3’s landing, is being widely circulated on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Conducting a reverse image search on the keyframes extracted from the viral video led us to the original video posted on Blue Origin’s YouTube channel on 10 May 2019. This video illustrates an animated representation of the Blue Moon’s landing on the lunar surface. The Blue Moon comprises a range of lunar landers and their related infrastructure, designed to facilitate the transportation of humans and cargo to the Moon. This project is presently in progress under the leadership of a consortium led by Blue Origin.
Published (25 August 2023):
After Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module, the Vikram Lander, successfully landed on the moon on 23 August 2023, and the Pragyan rover was deployed, a video showing a landing module flying across what appears to be a lunar surface before landing is being widely shared on social media, claiming to be from the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of the Vikram lander making soft landing on moon captured by NASA.
Fact: The viral video portrays an animated version of Apollo 11’s lunar module landing on the moon and does not show any real footage of Chandrayaan-3’s (Vikram Lander) soft landing on the moon captured by NASA. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we searched for any officially released footage by NASA during the landing of Chandrayaan-3’s landing module but were unable to find any. Subsequently, we conducted a reverse image search using the keyframes extracted from the viral video. Our search revealed that the same video had been uploaded on YouTube on 08 June 2021, with the title “The Apollo 11 Moon Landing: A Historic Moment in Space Exploration.”
The Apollo 11 mission, launched on 16 July 1969, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marked the first manned landing on the Moon. The mission included a command module named Columbia and a lunar module named Eagle, with a crew comprising Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. While the video’s uploader didn’t explicitly indicate its animated nature and representation, the inclusion of multiple camera angles and drone shots clearly suggests that the video portrays an animated rendition of Apollo 11’s lunar module landing. Furthermore, the video uploader had previously clarified that all of their videos are animated creations.
Demonitized all videos for reused content, wtf, all my videos are animated creations by me sounds and music from youtube or cc0 have never received any unfare use by anyone ever no info on what video and ineligble now to even contact youtube    fyyt
Additionally, ISRO has recently released the actual footage of the Vikram Lander’s landing and the subsequent rollout of the Pragyan rover. These visuals can be seen here and here.
Here is how the Lander Imager Camera captured the moon's image just prior to touchdown. pic.twitter.com/PseUAxAB6G
To sum it up, the animated video depicting Apollo 11’s moon landing was shared as NASA’s footage of Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the moon.


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Viral video shows gas canisters exploding after the non-electric truck carrying them crashed - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2023
A video showing what appears to be multiple explosions from a vehicle on the road is being widely shared on social media, with a claim that the visuals depict the aftermath of a collision between two electric vehicles. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing multiple explosions due to the collision between two electric vehicles.
Fact: The viral video shows a continuous explosion of propane gas canisters when a truck carrying them collided with a bus in Moscow in 2013. According to the news reports, neither the truck nor the bus was electric. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Using a reverse image search, we were able to locate the full video uploaded on YouTube in 2017, which provides the scenes leading up to the accident. The video captures a truck carrying gas canisters colliding with other vehicles, resulting in the gas canisters catching fire. Some of the canisters also fell onto the road and ignite.
Taking a cue from this, further research led us to various news reports (here, here, here, and here) regarding this accident. According to these reports, the incident occurred in July 2013 on the ring road in Moscow, Russia. An Isuzu truck, carrying 119 propane gas canisters, collided with a regular passenger bus. The impact resulted in the truck exploding, causing the gas canisters to detonate repeatedly, as depicted in the viral video. The accident had a fortunate outcome, as everyone, including the truck driver, survived.
Furthermore, none of the news reports mentions that the truck or the bus involved in the accident was electric. It’s worth noting that Isuzu did not have an all-electric truck model back in 2013, and electric buses were only introduced in Moscow in 2018.
To sum it up, the viral video shows propane gas canisters continuously detonating due to the collision between a non-electric truck carrying them and a non-electric bus in Moscow in 2013.


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Viral video shows transportation of an Empty New Vande train for its launch on the Patna-Ranchi route - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 4, 2023
A video is circulating on social media platforms showing a conventional electric locomotive hauling a newly introduced Vande Bharat train. The claim accompanying the post suggests that it demonstrates the strength of conventional trains built during the Congress government, as they are seen pulling the defective Vande Bharat Express manufactured during the Modi government. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a Conventional Electric Locomotive pulling a defective Vande Bharat Train.
Fact: The video shows an empty and new Vande Bharat Express train being pulled by a conventional locomotive in preparation for its launch on the Patna-Ranchi route. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We conducted a reverse image search of the viral video, and it led us to the original video uploaded on Instagram by the channel ‘railwala_18’ on 22 June 2023. The video’s description states, “WAG9 leading Brand New 16 Coacher Vande Bharat Rake towards Patna.”
A post shared by Shashank Jaiswal (@railwala_18)
However, as the video gained traction on social media, it was accompanied by numerous misleading narratives. East Central Railway promptly issued multiple clarifications (here & here), stating that the video actually depicts an Empty Coaching Rake being transported for the purpose of commissioning.
Empty Coaching rake going for commissioning
Moreover, the video’s uploader, Shashank Jaiswal, residing in Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar, offered additional clarification. Jaiswal stated that the video was recorded during the transportation of the Vande Bharat Express from Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction to Patna Junction. It is worth noting that the Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat train was officially launched on 27 June 2023, as reported.
Additionally, according to the Indian Railways, as quoted by Hindustan Times, when a train is first introduced to the tracks, it is pulled by another locomotive until its designated route is finalized. Only after the route announcement, the train is operated by its assigned locomotive pilot and crew members. During these trial runs, the train is operated by a driver who is familiar with the specific route. Similar visuals of Vande Bharat trains being transported by general locomotives from the coach factory to their respective destinations can be observed in multiple instances as seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, the viral video depicts an empty and new Vande Bharat Express train being pulled by a conventional locomotive during its commissioning on the Patna-Ranchi route. However, the video is misleadingly shared as a defective Vande Bharat Express being hauled by an old locomotive.


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Viral Video Shows VVPAT Slip Extraction & Preservation as per ECI guidelines, Not Destruction - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2023
A video circulating on social media alleges that a few people are destroying Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips by extracting them from the corresponding machines inside a strong room without following the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. This claim is being circulated along with allegations that the process of removing VVPAT slips from the strong room is a manipulative act planned by PM Modi. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicts VVPAT slips being removed from the strong room, despite the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 requiring VVPAT slips to be preserved for one year following the elections.
Fact: Though the time and location of the video is unknown, the video doesn’t show any wrongdoing. The workers can be seen extracting the VVPAT slips from the machine and preserving them after counting as per the guidelines of Election Commission of India, and not destroying them. Further investigation on the unauthorized person who recorded the video is ongoing. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Section 94(b) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, states that subject to any direction to the contrary given by the Election Commission or by a competent court or tribunal, election-related papers such as used and unused ballot papers, counterfoils of used ballot papers, marked copies of electoral rolls, and registers of voters shall be retained for one year. However, this rule does not specifically mention VVPAT slips. Section 94(c), which addresses all other election papers not mentioned above (including VVPAT slips), states that they can be retained for a period as directed by the Election Commission unless the Election petition/Court case is Pending.
Nonetheless, the video in the post does not depict the destruction of VVPAT slips or any other election-related papers. Instead, it merely shows the removal of VVPAT slips from the respective machines & preserving them in a black envelope in accordance with the Election Commission’s guidelines on handling VVPAT slips after completion of the counting of votes.
When the same video went viral in December 2022, claiming to show EVM fraud in Bhavnagar during the Gujarat elections, Deputy Election Officer of Bhavnagar, SN Katara, clarified that the video does not depict any wrongdoing; instead, the workers are simply following established procedures. Additionally, the District Magistrate and Collector of Bhavnagar, D.K. Parekh, stated that the video was recorded by an unauthorized individual and they initiated an inquiry into the incident. He also emphasized that there is no foul play in the process shown in the video.
@rakeshfilm pic.twitter.com/1Q4KcXEZzd
A demo video on how to extract & preserve VVPAT slips from the machine can be seen here.
To sum it up, the viral video shows the extraction and preservation of the VVPAT slips in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, but it does not show their destruction.


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Viral Videos Do Not Show Kuki Tribes Using Drones and Firearms to Attack Meitei Tribes in Manipur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 5, 2023
Update (05 June 2023):
Another video of men using firearms is being shared on social media with a claim that they belong to the Kuki tribe and that they are using sophisticated weapons like AK-47 and M16 to fire at a Meitei village.
To learn more about this video, we ran a reverse image search on the internet using a few keyframes. This led us to a Facebook post uploaded on 27 May 2023 containing the same video. According to the post, the video shows an armed clash between CNDF (Chin National Defence Force) and armed groups in the Sagaing region of Myanmar. Further search on the internet led us to a Facebook post by ‘BBC Burmese’ that contained a screengrab from the video. According to the post description, this fight occurred in south Kalay City of Sagaing region, Myanmar. Clearly, a video from Myanmar is misquoted as one from Manipur.
Published (02 June 2023):
In the aftermath of the conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communites in Manipur and the subsequent violence, two videos (here and here) have been circulating on social media. These videos allegedly depict the Kuki tribes using drones and firearms to attack the Meiteis. Let’s examine the authenticity of these videos and debunk the misinformation surrounding them.
Claim: Videos show Kuki tribes using drones and firearms to launch attacks on Meiteis.
Fact: Both viral videos do not show Kuki people using gunfire to attack the Meiteis. The first video show visuals of guerilla warfare in Myanmar. The second video contains visuals from two separate videos; one is from a 2019 documentary about the Myanmar civil war, and the second one is from a video that allegedly shows the involvement of state police commandos in attacking tribal villages in Manipur. Hence the claim made in the post is Flase.
Video 1:
A reverse image search on the internet using a few key frames from the viral video led us to a Facebook video that shares similarities with it. This video, uploaded by a Myanmar-based non-profit organization, depicts an attack on a police station in Myanmar’s Sagaing township by guerilla forces.
Local news reports (here and here) also confirm this incident, which has no connection to Manipur. Reportedly, the People’s Defence Forces(PDF), the military wing of the National Unity Government (NUG), launched an attack on a police outpost in Badu Village Sagaing, Myanmar.
This evidence is clear to conclude that the viral video uses this incident as one that took place in Manipur.
Video 2:
A user in the comments posted a screenshot similar to a frame from the viral video with text that reads, “Drone footage shows involvement… state police commandos in attacking.” We took this as a hint and performed a keyword search online, leading us to a YouTube video titled “Drone footage shows involvement of state police commandos in attacking Tribal villages in Manipur.” This video was uploaded by a YouTube channel named “Lamka Talk” on 29 May 2023. The visuals in this video match the viral video from 11 seconds until its end. Lamka Talk is a Manipur-based news outlet. The drone footage allegedly shows the involvement of police officers in the attacks on tribal villages in Manipur. We spoke to C Lian Langel of Lamka Talk, who confirmed that these visuals show the state troopers of Manipur firing at villages.
To ascertain the details of the initial few seconds of the video that show men in combat uniforms operating and flying a drone, we performed a reverse image search on the internet using keyframes from the video. This led us to a video uploaded by “ABC News In-Depth.” This video focuses on the civil war in Myanmar, and its visuals from 15:41 to 16:02 match the initial portions of the viral video.
However, it is important to note that while this video contains visuals from Manipur, it does not show Kuki tribes plotting an attack on the police.
To sum up, the claim that these viral videos show Kuki tribes using drones and firearms to attack Meiteis in Manipur is false. Both videos have been misquoted and taken out of context.


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Virat Kohli's alleged tweet welcoming the Pakistani Cricket team to India was made by a parody account - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 3, 2023
A screenshot of a tweet allegedly by Indian cricket player Virat Kohli is currently going viral on social media platforms. This tweet purportedly shows Kohli welcoming the Pakistan cricket team to India for the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 (here) and also stating that he will be hosting a party for the team at his house. We fact-check this claim in this article.
Claim: Virat Kohli tweeted a message welcoming the Pakistani cricket team to India for the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Fact: The tweet was not made by Virat Kohli. It came from a parody account impersonating Kohli. The official Twitter account of Virat Kohli has no such tweet. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
We started by examining Virat Kohli’s official Twitter account to investigate the claim. As of the date of checking (03 October 2023), the last tweet from his account was an advertisement for Ocean Beverages. No welcome tweet to the Pakistani cricket team was found on the date mentioned, which is 27 September 2023.
Further, we scrutinised his Twitter activity in detail, skimming through the entirety of his account. There was no record of any tweet welcoming the Pakistani Men’s cricket team who arrived in India on 27 September 2023. On the said date, he made a Tweet congratulating the Indian Women’s team on winning the Gold medal in the ongoing Asian Games.
History-makers 🇮🇳🥇📖✍ pic.twitter.com/pixnO80sW2
On close examination of the viral screenshot, we found that the Twitter handle in question (@amiVkohli) differed slightly from the official handle (@imVkohli) of Virat Kohli, confirming our suspicion of the tweet being from a parody account.
To sum up, the viral claim of Virat Kohli tweeting a welcome to the Pakistani Cricket Team for the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is misleading. The tweet was posted by a false account impersonating Virat Kohli.

created: October 3, 2023


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Virat Kohli's Instagram story appreciating England Cricket team is edited and shared as him making nasty remarks against Pakistan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2022
A post is being shared on social media, containing a graphic with a screenshot of Kohlis’s Instagram story after England’s victory in the T20 World Cup. The text in the story reads, ‘congratulations England and Pakistan … muh me.’ Text on the graphic reads,’…. very shameful stuff from Virat Kohli…’ Let’s verify this post through this article.
Claim: Virat Kohli posted an Instagram story congratulating England on winning the T20 World Cup, making nasty remarks against the Pakistani cricket team in the same story.
Fact: Virat Kohli posted an Instagram story congratulating the England Cricket team on becoming champions by winning the T20 World Cup. The text in his original story reads, ‘Congratulations, England, Well deserved.’ The post shares a morphed version of this Insta story to make it look like Kohli made nasty remarks against the Pakistani cricket team. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords to find out the truth behind Kohli’s purported Instagram story. This led us to a few recent news reports (here, here and here).
After England defeated Pakistan in the cricket T20 World cup final to clinch the title, Virat Kohli reportedly congratulated the English team through his Instagram story. A screenshot of this story in the news reports shows that he wrote, ‘ Congratulations, England, Well deserved.’
But the viral post contains a morphed version of Kohlis’ Instagram story, which has language that makes it seem like he congratulated England and made nasty remarks against the Pakistani Cricket team. This version of his purported Insta story was not shared in any media reports. This makes it clear that the original story was morphed to spread a false narrative.
To sum up, Virat Kohli’s Instagram story appreciating the England Cricket team on their world cup win is edited and shared in this post to propagate a false narrative.

created: November 15, 2022


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Visiorax capsules claiming to restore vision are neither approved by the FDA nor CDSCO - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 29, 2023
A message viral on social media claims: “A student from Mumbai received the highest award from the Association of Ophthalmologists for discovering an innovative method of restoring vision at any age without the need for surgery.”  This is accompanied by a website containing the testimony of Fatima, who allegedly used a capsule named Visiorax to improve her vision from -1.5 to 0.7 diopters. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: Visiorax capsule will restore vision at any age without the need for surgery.
Fact: Refractive errors like Myopia, Hyperopia, etc. can be treated either with Glasses, Contact lenses or surgery. Neither the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA )nor the Indian Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) approved the use of Visiorax to treat refractive errors. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the claim’s authenticity, we first searched the internet using relevant keywords to know about the person who won the alleged “highest award from the Association of Ophthalmologists for discovering an innovative method of restoring vision at any age without the need for surgery.”  This search did not lead us to any news reports supporting this claim. Further, we looked for news reports on the person named Fatima, who used Visiorax to restore her vision. This search, too, did not yield any credible evidence supporting the claim.
We learned that according to the National Eye Institute of the US, which performs vision research and education, the treatments for refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia are either glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.
They have not listed Visiorax or, for that matter, any capsule as the solution for the refractive errors.
Visiorax is also not listed as an approved drug by either the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Indian Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
When someone on Practo asked if Visiorax is an effective medicine to restore eyesight, Dr Saba Kausar, a verified ophthalmologist on Practo, said that Medicine cannot reduce refractive errors.
Spanish fact-checking website “Verifica rtve” labelled Vsiorax as a complete hoax.
Further searches revealed that in December 2021, the FDA approved the usage of eye drops named Vuity for the treatment of age-related blurry vision, known as presbyopia.
Healthline reported that this improves new vision for 2-3 hours. This is not a permanent replacement for the reading glasses.
To sum up, Visiorax capsules claiming to restore vision are neither approved by the FDA nor CDSCO.

created: November 29, 2023


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Visual from a 1981 Soviet film shared as actual footage of a basketball match - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2023
A video, allegedly of a  basketball match, is being shared on social media. In the video, a player can be seen dunking the match’s referee in a hoop. The post’s description claims this video is footage of a real basketball game. Let’s fact-check this video through this claim.
Claim: Footage of a basketball match in which a player baskets a referee after she was upset when he called a wrong penalty.
Fact: The viral clip is part of a Soviet era Russian movie named восьмое чудо света/Eighth World Wonder(1981). Hence the claim made in the post is False.
To learn if the viral clip is from an actual basketball match, we broke the video into keyframes using the InVID tool. Using a few keyframes, we performed a reverse image search which led us to a website which contained a movie named восьмое чудо света (The Eighth World Wonder) with the visuals from the viral video. This is a Russian Sports movie released in 1981. The full-length video is also available on YouTube.
Parts of the movie’s footage between 33:34 to 36:16 match the viral video, which wrongly claims this as the visuals of an original basketball game in which a player dunks the referee into a hoop.
To sum up, visual from a 1981 Russian film peddled as actual footage of a basketball match.

created: February 14, 2023


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Visualization of a project in Brussels is being falsely claimed as Ambedkar Library building in the U.S. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2019
An image of a building, with ‘Jai Bhim’ written over it, is posted on Facebook with a claim that it is Ambedkar Library building in the U.S. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the image in the post.
The building in the post is Babasaheb Ambedkar Library built by the Americans.
Fact: The image in the post is the visualization of a proposed residential-cum-commercial building by Vincent Callebaut Architectures in Brussels (Belgium). It is no way connected to Ambedkar. ‘Jai Bhim’ was added on the building by editing the picture. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image in the post is run through Google Reverse Image Search, it is found that the building is a visualization by an architecture company, Vincent Callebaut Architectures. The visualization was for a project proposed in Brussels (Belgium). The building is not a library but a residential-cum-commercial building.
Also, in the original visualization, there is no ‘Jai Bhim’ poster on the building. It was added in the posted image by editing the original visualization.
To sum it up, visualization of a project in Brussels is being falsely claimed as Ambedkar Library building in the U.S.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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Visually impaired girl's photo incorrectly shared as the one who saw the Nuclear blast in Hiroshima - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 14, 2022
A photo of a visually impaired girl is being shared on social media with a claim that she witnessed the Nuclear blast in Hiroshima in 1945. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Photo of a girl who saw the Hiroshima nuclear bomb blast in Japan in 1945.
Fact: This picture was captured by a Swedish photographer named Christer Strömholm in 1963. This photo is uploaded on his official website with the caption, The Blind Girl- Hiroshima 1963. It is therefore not possible that she could have witnessed the nuclear blast in 1945. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We performed a reverse image search using the photo in the post and found the same image in a few auction websites (here and here), which credited this photo to Swedish photographer Christer Strömholm. Further investigation led us to the official website of Christer Strömholm, in which this photo was available. It is captioned ‘ The Blind Girl- Hiroshima 1963.’
The Hiroshima Nuclear bomb blast happened in 1945; if this girl were even one year old at that time, by 1963, she would be 19 years. But the girl in the picture does not look like a 19 year old.  Although the photo was taken in Hiroshima, the viral post misquotes it as the picture of a child who had seen the nuclear bomb blast. The same picture was earlier debunked by Snopes. Snopes stated that “It might be the case that the pictured girl’s blindness was not directly caused by her exposure to the nuclear blast itself, but by something that took place much later in the aftermath of that blast, including a congenital disorder in a child born to survivors who were exposed to radiation.”
To summarise, this post shares a visually impaired girl’s photo with an incorrect caption that she saw the Nuclear blast in Hiroshima in 1945.

created: December 14, 2022


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Visuals depicting crawling murder suspects from Rajasthan erroneously linked to UP girl's death case - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 27, 2023
A video depicting three young men crawling on the ground with bandaged legs is circulating online, accompanied by a statement alleging that the Yogi government acted against three individuals accused of forcibly pulling a Hindu girl by her dupatta in Uttar Pradesh, resulting in her tragic demise. In this article, we aim to verify the accuracy of the claim linked to the video.
Claim: Visuals depicting the accused Muslim men crawling, following the Yogi government’s action for the death of a Hindu girl.
Fact: While it is accurate that three Muslim youths were apprehended in connection with the tragic death of a young girl, who was run over by a motorcycle after they pulled her dupatta, the visuals currently circulating do not portray these particular suspects. In fact, the images are related to a separate incident involving murder suspects from Rajasthan who are shown crawling after being shot during their arrest. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkarnagar, a female student tragically lost her life when two men on a motorcycle pulled her dupatta (stole), causing her to fall from her bicycle, and she was subsequently struck by another motorcycle. Three Muslim youths were identified as the accused (here & here).
Further during their scheduled medical examination, the three suspects reportedly seized a police rifle and tried to escape. In response, the police opened fire, resulting in injuries to two of the suspects. The third individual also sustained injuries while attempting to flee. The currently viral video is being shared in this context. However, the viral video is unrelated and does not depict these accused individuals; it pertains to a different incident.
A reverse image search on the screenshots from the viral video yielded several news articles that reported these viral visuals. According to these reports, the individuals in question were identified as Tejveer, Yuvraj, and Bunty Khushal, who are accused in the murder case of a young man named Ajay Jhamri in Bharatpur, Rajasthan (here & here).
Moreover, these reports state that the three suspects were shot during their apprehension. Therefore, it can be inferred that the images of murder suspects from Rajasthan have been mistakenly associated with the suspects from Uttar Pradesh.
To sum it up, visuals depicting crawling murder suspects from Rajasthan erroneously linked to UP girl’s death case.

created: September 27, 2023


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Visuals from a feature film shared as Taliban torturing people in Panjshir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 15, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the visuals show the Taliban arresting and torturing people in Panjshir. The post even claims that hundreds of people in Panjshir are being thrown into containers and shot at. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Taliban torturing people and throwing them into containers in Panjshir.
Fact: The video is taken from a feature film ‘Abhara’ (uploaded to YouTube on 29 December 2017), also known as ‘Taliban’, that depicts the violence and crimes of the dark period of the Taliban. Panjshir province in Afghanistan, which was the last hold out against Taliban, was overrun by the Taliban earlier and is being run brutally ever since, imposing a blockade in Panjshir, denying residents food, and carrying out extrajudicial killings. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Taking the cue from comments made under the post, that the video could be from an Afghan movie; a reverse image search using relevant keywords was done on the screenshots of the video. A YouTube video uploaded on 29 December 2017 was found with similar visuals. Visuals from 47:11 timestamp onwards were taken from the YouTube video and made into the viral video.
According to the description, this YouTube video is a feature film ‘Abhara’, also known as ‘Taliban’, that depicts the violence and crimes of the dark period of the Taliban. “The story of the film depicts the crimes of the Taliban from Kabul to the borders of Afghanistan in Amu Darya.”
Panjshir province in Afghanistan, which was the last hold out against the Taliban, was overrun by the Taliban earlier and is being run brutally ever since. According to a Washington Post report, the Taliban have imposed a blockade in Panjshir, denying residents food and carrying out extrajudicial killings. The Taliban have been accused of killing 20 civilians, with one incident of killing a man in uniform caught on video.
To sum it up, visuals from a feature film are being shared as those of Taliban torturing people in Panjshir.

created: September 15, 2021


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Visuals from a popular video game are being shared attributing them to the Indian army - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 26, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video, wherein a man jumps off from his fighter jet and takes down an opponent’s fighter jet with a missile strike is being widely shared as if the visuals are real. The video is being circulated with a claim that visuals show an Indian soldier taking down  the opponent. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing Indian soldier taking down an opponent’s jet through a missile strike.
Fact: These are not real visuals but are extracted from a gaming video titled ‘Battlefield 2042’. The visuals are released on the official YouTube channel of the game and are available since June 2021. Further, there are no reports of Indian army involving in any such arial combats lately. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals are not real but extracted from a video game. Reverse image search of the screen shots of the viral video led us to original video which carried similar visuals.
The video is uploaded on a YouTube channel named Battlefield on 09 June 2021 and the title of the video reads “Battlefield 2042 Official Reveal Trailer (ft. 2WEI)”. At 3:14 mark of the video we can see the viral visuals of a fighter jet being taken down.
The description associated to the video describes ‘Battlefield 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise’. All these imply that the viral visuals are not real but are related to a video game.
Battlefield is one of the popular video games developed by Swedish company EA DICE. ‘FIFA’, ‘NFL, Need for Speed’, etc. are some of the popular video games developed by this company.
Multiple gaming enthusiasts shared the same clip on the internet since the release of the game (here, & here). GIF’s capturing the same viral visuals have also become popular on internet. Further, there are no reports of the Indian army involving in any such arial combats lately.
To sum it up, visuals from a popular video game are being falsely shared attributing them to the Indian army.


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Visuals from Iraq are being shared as Vidyasagar statue incident in West Bengal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2019
A post with a couple of photos showing some people destroying statues is being shared on Facebook with a claim that Mamata’s Taliban followers destroyed the Vidyasagar statue. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The images in the post were taken from the CCTV footage of the TMC workers destroying the Vidyasagar statue in West Bengal.
Fact: The photos in the post are in no way connected to West Bengal. The screenshots were taken from a video related to ISIS destroying the ancient statues in Mosul. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photos in the post are run through Google Reverse Image Search, links to several videos reported from Iraq will be found in the search results. According to the CNN article, the video was taken in 2015 when ISIS destroyed several artefacts and statues in the Mosul Museum.  The photos in the post are taken from that video. So, the posted photos are not related to the destruction of Vidyasagar statue in West Bengal.
To sum it up, Visuals from Iraq are being shared as being from the incident in West Bengal.


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Visuals from Pakistan related to insulting the Indian flag are being shared as from Kerala/Tamil Nadu - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 11, 2023
Update (11 July 2022):
The same video which was debunked earlier is now being shared as Muslims in Kerala are driving vehicles over the Indian flag while people standing cheer holding a Pakistan flag. However, as explained below, the viral video is actually from Karachi, and could be traced to Karachi’s Delhi mercantile society area on Google street view.
Published (08 June 2022):
A social media post accompanying a video which shows groups of vehicles driving over the Indian flag on a road while people standing cheer holding a Pakistan flag is being widely shared, claiming that the incident took place in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing groups of vehicles driving over the Indian flag in Thanjavur.
Fact: There are no such reports of people insulting Indian flag in Tamil Nadu, as shown in the viral video. Further, the viral video is actually from Karachi. As per the details visible in the viral video, we could trace the same locality in Karachi’s Delhi mercantile society area on Google street view. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
There are no reports of people insulting Indian flag in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur. If at all any such incident had indeed taken place, media would have reported it, however, we could not find any such reports.
Further, if we closely observe the video, we could find many clues which indicate that the visuals are not from Thanjavur but from Karachi, Pakistan.
At 3:38 timestamp of the viral video, we could see a white van passing by, with ‘The Hunar Foundation’ written on it.
As per the information provided on the website of The Hunar foundation, the organisation is based out of Karachi, and it provides skill development/technical training to youth of Pakistan. It started it first batch in Karachi’s Delhi Mercantile Society area. Similar images of vehicles can be seen on the Facebook page of a Karachi based printing shop.
At 3:44 seconds we can spot a car with yellow number plate, with ‘BFK-625’ written on it. Through Google search, we found that such number plates are related to Pakistan’s Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital city. News reports which published images of  vehicle number plates similar to the one in the viral video can be read here and here.
Further at the beginning of the video, we can spot a shop with ‘Sanam’ written on it. Taking a cue from this, Google search with relevant keywords yielded couple of websites (here & here) which provided the location of the store named ‘Sanam Boutique’ in Karachi. The design of the name of the store in these websites is similar to the one seen in the viral video.
As per these websites, the store is located in Karachi’s Tariq Road, Delhi mercantile society. Further, we traced a shop with the same name in Karachi on Google map. Through Google Street view of this shop, we can find similar locality as seen in the viral video.
To sum it up, visuals from Pakistan related to insulting the Indian flag are being shared as from Tamil Nadu.


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Old unrelated videos shared as recent visuals of the earthquake in Turkey - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 7, 2023
In the context of a major earthquake that struck Turkey and parts of Syria on 06 February 2023 killing hundreds of people, a video of a collapsing building is being widely shared on social media claiming it shows the latest visuals of the earthquake in Turkey. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Update (07 February 2023):
A few other videos are being shared on social media claiming as the CCTV footage showing the terrifying moments during the earthquake in Turkey on 06 February 2023. Let’s check the veracity of the claims made in these posts.
Video 1:
This post claims that the video shows terrifying moments during the recent earthquake in Turkey. On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘Syria Stream’ YouTube channel on 30 October 2020. This YouTube channel described it as the visuals showing the scary moments during the earthquake in Izmir, Turkey. So, it can be confirmed that the video shared in the post shows the visuals of the 2020 earthquake in Turkey and not the latest one.
Video 2:
Another video is also being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of the earth trembling during the recent earthquake in Turkey. On reverse image search, a video with similar visuals was found in an article published by a news website in May 2022. This news article reported it as the terrifying moments captured from inside a car during the earthquake in Japan. A YouTube user published this video in 2019, mentioning it is the video taken on a Metropolitan Expressway during the 2011 earthquake in Japan. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and does not show recent visuals from Turkey.
Published (06 February 2023):
Claim: Visuals of a building collapsing in Turkey due to earthquake on 06 February 2023.
Fact: Visuals show a building that collapsed in Izmir, Turkey on 30 October 2020 when an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Aegean Sea in October 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search of the viral video led us to the original video uploaded by ‘Guardian News’ YouTube channel on 30 October 2020. The title of the video reads- “Turkey earthquake footage captures moment building collapses in İzmir”. As per the media reports, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck the city of Izmir on 30 October 2020.
Similarly, other clips shown in the viral video also belong to this 2020 earthquake in Turkey. They can be seen here.
To sum it up, old videos from the 2020 Turkey earthquake are being shared as recent visuals.

created: February 7, 2023


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Visuals of a bridge collapse in Bangkok are passed off as that of a newly constructed metro in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 25, 2023
A video showing the collapse of an elevated metro line or flyover is currently making rounds on social media platforms, with an assertion that the footage captures the failure of a newly constructed overhead metro structure in India. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting the collapse of a newly constructed metro overhead in India.
Fact: The visuals depict the collapse of an under-construction bridge in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok. Numerous news agencies in Bangkok reported on this incident. On comparing the visuals from the video with the location reported by the news agencies, it has been conclusively confirmed that the incident did take place in Bangkok. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
While the visuals show the collapse of an under-construction bridge, it’s important to note that the incident occurred in Bangkok and not in India. A reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video led us to a Singapore-based YouTube channel that shared the same visuals stating that the incident happened in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok.
Taking a cue from this, further search led us to several news reports regarding the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Lat Krabang, along the Luang Phaeng Road in Bangkok (here, here & here). According to these reports, the incident occurred on 10 July 2023, resulting in the unfortunate loss of two lives and leaving at least 17 people injured.
On comparing the images of the location (ptt petrol station) mentioned in the news reports, which are available on Google Maps, and the viral visuals, we have verified that the visuals indeed show an incident from Bangkok.
To sum it up, visuals of a bridge collapse in Bangkok are passed off as that of a newly constructed metro in India.


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Visuals of a brutal murder in Jaipur is being shared with a communal narative, attributing it to Bareilly - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 24, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video of a young man being beaten to death following an altercation between two groups is being widely circulated with a claim that Muslims in Bareilly attacked Hindus on the day of Holi. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Muslims attack on Hindus on the day of Holi in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: These visuals are not related to Bareilly but are from Jaipur, Rajasthan. Following an altercation, staff of a hotel in Jaipur attacked a group of friends who are actually the guests of the hotel, which led to the death of one of the guests. As per the police and the FIR related to the case, none of the accused belong to Muslim community and there is no communal angle to the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals are not related to Bareilly but Jaipur, Rajasthan wherein a young man was beaten to death by the staff of the hotel where he was partying. The incident took place in the early hours of 14 March 2022, much before the Holi festival.
Reverse image search of the viral visuals yielded multiple news reports (here, here & here) which reported the same visuals. As per these reports, in Jaipur’s Vaishali Nagar, a guest of a hotel who came to celebrate his birthday with his friends was beaten to death by the hotel staff following an altercation. Further, the deceased was identified as Vishal Yadav.
As per the news reports ‘the police have arrested 9 accused in this case, namely Suresh, Prahlad Kumar Balai, Aman, Ashok, Anil Papada, furniture factory workers Lakhan Bairwa, Mukesh Kumar Bairwa, Lalchand Bairwa, Mahendra Rawatsa’
Another news article that reported the same people as mentioned above as accused can be read here. Even the FIR, which recorded the testimony of the victims, identifies the above-mentioned named as accused. Hence, going by the police statement and the names of the accused, none of the accused belongs to the Muslim community, and there is no communal angle to the incident.
Further, UP Police through a tweet also confirmed that the viral visuals are not related to Uttar Pradesh but Jaipur, Rajasthan.
#FactCheck – वायरल वीडियो उत्तर प्रदेश से न होकर थाना वैशाली नगर, जनपद जयपुर, राजस्थान से संबंधित है। @bareillypolice द्वारा भ्रामक पोस्ट का खंडन किया गया है। कृपया बिना सत्यापन के भ्रामक पोस्ट कर अफवाह न फैलाएं।#UPPFactCheck#UPPolice https://t.co/DurvpUgJ4a https://t.co/uWAhReKzmO pic.twitter.com/Qo1dViYIKt
To sum it up, visuals of a brutal murder in Jaipur are being shared with a communal angle, attributing it to Bareilly.


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Visuals of a clash between BJP and TRS workers in Telangana is shared as BJP leaders beaten by the public in Uttar Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2022
A video through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that BJP leaders were beaten by the public in Uttar Pradesh. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of BJP leaders beaten by the public in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The video is from Telangana and not Uttar Pradesh. The visuals were from an anti-Modi protest that was held in Jangaon (Telangana) where the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) workers and BJP workers clashed. The anti-Modi protests were held to denounce PM Modi’s statements on Telangana state formation in the Parliament recently. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same visuals were found in a video published by the Times of India. According to the video, the visuals are from an anti-Modi protest that was held in Jangaon where the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) workers and BJP workers clashed violently. The anti-Modi protests were held to denounce PM Modi’s statements on Telangana state formation in Parliament recently.
Recently, there were protests denouncing  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Parliament regarding the Andhra Pradesh bifurcation done by the UPA government in 2014. The workers of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the ruling party in the state, clashed with the workers of BJP after BJP workers tried to prevent the TRS from burning an effigy of PM Modi at the Jangaon crossroads in Telangana. Over the remarks of PM Modi on the passage of the AP bifurcation bill 2014, TRS MPs moved a privilege motion against PM Modi.
To sum it up, visuals of a clash between BJP and TRS workers in Telangana are shared as BJP leaders beaten by the public in Uttar Pradesh.

created: February 14, 2022


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Visuals of a fire break out in Srinagar is shared as terrorists setting a Hindu temple on fire - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 8, 2021
In the light of the recent terror attacks in Srinagar, wherein multiple civilians including a couple of school teachers were killed, a social media post accompanying a video of a plume of smoke rising out of structures that caught fire is being shared widely. It is being claimed that the video shows a temple in Shopian, Kashmir which is set on fire by terrorists. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of arson attack on a temple by terrorists in Zainapora area of Shopian, Kashmir.
Fact: The Video is actually of a fire break out in a residential area of  Parimpora, outskirts  of Srinagar. The fire which initially broke out in a house soon engulfed the nearby houses. Multiple local news agencies have also reported the video and none of these news reports identified the blazing structure as a Temple. However, the source of the fire break out is not known. Further, there are no recent news reports of a Hindu temple set on fire by terrorists in Shopian, or for that matter any part of Kashmir. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video is actually of a fire break out, which took place on 07 October 2021 in the Parimpora area of Srinagar, which engulfed several residential houses. Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple JK local news reports (here, here & here) which reported the images similar to the visuals of the video.
As per these articles, a fire broke out from one of the houses in the locality and very soon engulfed the nearby houses. None of these news reports identified the blazing structure as a Temple. However, these articles did not report the cause of the fire. News reports which reported the video have also identified the incident as a fire break out in Parimpora residential area.
Further, there are no recent news reports of a Hindu temple being set on fire by terrorists in Shopian, or for that matter any part of Kashmir. Had such an incident really took place, the media would have reported it. Kashmir valley’s largest Kashmiri Pandit group, the Kashmiri Pandit Sangaresh Samithi (KPSS), in their correspondence with IB Times, a news agency, has also confirmed that the viral claims about the Zainapora temple being burnt down are false.
To sum it up, visuals of a fire break out in a residential area in Parimpora, Srinagar is shared as terrorists setting a Hindu temple on fire in Kashmir.

created: October 8, 2021


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Visuals of a group of women attacking a man are being shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2023
Update (14 June 2023):
A video is being shared on social media as visuals of women beating a BJP MLA in Kerala. The same video is also shared as women thrashing a Congress  MLA after watching ‘The Kerala Story’ movie. However, as explained below, the name of the man who was thrashed by the women in the video is Shaji. A group of Christian women attacked Shaji, accusing him of morphing images of a woman belonging to the Emperor Emmanuel Church and sharing them on the Internet. Shaji is neither a BJP MLA nor a Congress MLA. The incident was reported in January 2023, much before the release of ‘The Kerala Story’ movie.
Published (17 May 2023):
A video showing a man being assaulted by a group of women is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that the video shows Hindu women in Kerala attacking a Muslim man for misbehaving with them. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Hindu women assaulting a Muslim man for misbehaving with them.
Fact: The viral visuals are related to a confrontation between the past and present members of a Church in Thrissur, Kerala. According to media reports, individuals associated with the Thrissur Muriyad Emperor Emmanuel Mediation Centre attacked Shaji, a former member, alleging that his son had circulated fabricated images of a woman belonging to the Church. There is no communal angle in the incident, as all the people involved are followers of the same religion. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This video of a group of women thrashing a man is indeed from Kerala. However, the reasons and the identity of the people involved is not as alleged in the viral post.
A reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video yielded several news reports that featured identical visuals. According to one such report, the visuals show confrontation involving past and present members of a church in Kerala. Allegedly, individuals associated with the Thrissur Muriyad Emperor Emmanuel Mediation Centre attacked Shaji, a former member, who was traveling with his family.
The news reports mentioned that the motive behind the attack was an accusation that Shahji’s son, Shajan Emperor Emmanuel, had circulated fabricated images of the church president.
As per a local media report, 11 women involved in the incident were arrested. Several other news reports also ascertained that the motive behind the attack was a quarrel between past and present members of a church (here, here & here). And none of these reports mentioned any communal angle to the incident.
A case has been registered at Alur police station against 59 women in connection with this attack. In the FIR, Shaji’s family alleged that Emperor Immanuel Church attacked them as they had left it. Additionally, according to Thrissur rural district police chief Aishwarya Dongre, a case has been registered based on the complaint of the church members alleging that Shaji circulated a morphed nude picture of a woman belonging to the Church.
To sum it up, visuals of a group of women attacking a man are being shared with a false communal narrative.


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Visuals of a man stabbing a woman in West Bengal’s Murshidabad are shared with a false love jihad narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2022
A social media post accompanying the video of a man stabbing a woman lying on a road is being widely circulated attributing a love jihad narrative to the incident. The description associated with the video reads ‘Love Jihad case Baharampur, Murshidabad. Hindu girl refuse to accept His religion of peace so he stabbed her in public’. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim associated with the video shared in the post.
Claim: Love Jihad – visuals of a Muslim man stabbing a Hindu girl in West Bengal’s Berhampore.
Fact: The visuals show a 22 year old man stabbing a woman, who was in relationship with him earlier in Bengal’s Berhampur area. As per the police and the news reports, both the victim and accused are Hindus and there in no Love Jihad or communal angle to the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded news reports of the incident that carried the same details as in the viral post (here & here). According to these reports ‘a 20-year-old woman was hacked to death by a young man in front of a women’s hostel at Berhampore in Murshidabad district’. Further, the article reported that ‘the victim was in relationship with the accused, but later the girl walked out of the relationship and came to Berhampore for her studies‘.
These articles identified the victim as Sutapa Chowdhury, a third-year student at Berhampore Girls’ College, and the accused as 22-year-old Sushanta Chowdhury of Malda district. These names imply that both the victim and accused belong to the same religion and are Hindus.
One of these articles even reported the victim’s father saying ‘Sushanta met Sutapa around three years ago and had been in a relationship with her. But they broke up later. As my daughter stopped talking to him, Sushanta started blackmailing, threatening, and intimidating her. We sought the local councilor’s help to make him [Sushanta] understand that Sutapa wanted to continue her studies and that he shouldn’t disturb her.’
A further search yielded Bangla news reports, that had reported similar visuals (here & here).  As per these reports, the woman was shot first, and was later stabbed to death. However, these reports did not mention any love jihad angle to the incident.
Murshidabad police also tweeted identifying the accused as Susanta Chowdary. However, later the tweet was taken down. Further, the police tweet warned of legal action for spreading false rumours of love jihad related to the case.
Two FIRs have been initiated against rumour mongers.
@WBPolice @KolkataPolice @KapilMishra_IND @rajivtuli69 @zoo_bear @MrSinha_
In correspondence with Quint, the police clarified that both the victim and accused belong to the same religion and that there is no love jihad angle involved in the incident.  The FIR filed in the case can be viewed here. Thus the available information suggests that there is no love jihad angle to the incident.
To sum it up, visuals of a man stabbing a woman in West Bengal’s Murshidabad are being shared attributing a false love jihad angle.


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Visuals of a massive gathering on the roads of Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina are shared as visuals of a Jai Bhim rally - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 1, 2023
A video of a huge crowd gathered on roads holding blue-coloured flags is being shared on social media as visuals of a Jai Bhim rally. This post even calls out people to join a rally to support reservations on 12 February 2023. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Visuals of a massive crowd gathered at the Jai Bhim rally.
Fact: One of the buildings visible in the video has a huge hoarding in front of it. The hoarding contains the name ‘Hostel Sol’, located in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires. On observing the location of Hostel Sol using google street view feature of google maps, the buildings adjacent to it and the roads matched the visuals in the viral video. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
We performed a reverse image search using a few screenshots of the viral video, but that did not lead to any conclusive evidence. Then we looked to see if we could get any location clues from the video. Upon careful observation, we found a huge hoarding on a building with ‘Hostel Sol’ written on it. More images of Hostel Sol can be seen here.
This hostel is located in the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires. Then we looked at the visuals of the Hostel Sol on Google Maps using the street view feature and compared the buildings and the roads adjacent to this hostel with the visuals in the viral video. They match the visuals in the viral video.
We also looked for videos related to massive public gatherings that happened recently in Buenos Ares but could not find the exact video. Some videos captured during the celebrations of Argentina’s victory in the football world cup contained a few black vehicles, which were also seen in the viral video. But, since the location is evidently Argentina and not India, the post’s claim that the video is related to a Jai Bhim rally is false.
To sum it up, visuals of a massive gathering on the roads of Buenos Aires, capital city of Argentina are shared as visuals of the Jai Bhim rally.

created: February 1, 2023


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Visuals of murder in Delhi are being shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 29, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video carrying visuals of the murder of a Hindu youth in Delhi is being widely shared attributing a communal angle to the act. The post highlights the way the crime has been committed alluding to the culpability of the Muslim community. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals related to the murder of a Hindu youth (Shiva Gurjar) by a Muslim in Delhi.
Fact: DCP West Delhi through a video message clarified that, as far as the incident is concerned, the deceased and the perpetrator both belong to the same community and there is no communal angle involved to the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
As per the official reports, there is no communal angle involved in the murder of Shiva Gurjar in Delhi. Following the viral visuals alleging a communal angle to the incident, DCP -West Delhi through a video message confirmed that both the deceased and the perpetrator belong to the same community and there is no communal angle involved in the incident.
पश्चिमी जिले के नारायणा थाना इलाके में हुई युवक की हत्या पर #दिल्ली_पुलिस ने तत्काल कार्यवाही की है।@DCPWestDelhi ने बताया कि मामला साम्प्रदायिक नहीं, बल्कि आपसी मारपीट से जुड़ा है।
घटना से संबंधित सभी अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार किया जा चुका है।#DelhiPoliceUpdates@ANI@CPDelhi pic.twitter.com/twtXlcuQUs
Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news articles (here & here) which reported the incident. As per these reports, following an altercation with a worker at a paan shop over a collision of the bike, Shiva Gurjar was stabbed in the chest by one of the attackers which led to his death. Further, the article reported that the police have arrested the perpetrators namely Dharmender Rai, Sachin Rai, Ramanuj Rai, and Vakil. The minor who is accused of stabbing Shiva is also held by the police.
Moreover, as per the report, the police have also confirmed that the man seen along with the deceased in the viral visuals is not the attacker. Thus from the above information, it is evident that there is no communal angle in the incident.
To sum it up, visuals of murder in Delhi are being shared with a false communal claim.


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Visuals of a newborn baby and mother are being shared with a false, old story - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 25, 2022
A social media post with visuals of a newborn baby clinging to the mother’s face is being shared widely across the platforms claiming that a woman, who gave birth to a baby after 11 years died immediately after giving birth to the baby. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Kota woman, who gave birth to a baby after 11 years died after giving birth to a baby.
Fact: One of the videos shows a newborn baby clinging to her mother’s face just after being born in Brazil. The news article which reported the video did not mention that the mother died after giving birth or she was barren for 11 years. The other video is available on the internet without any context as claimed in the post. The image of a man in surgical apron & crying was initially shared on ‘ozgemetinphotography’ Instagram account. In one of the comments below the image the user claims that he clicked the  image, and he ruled the viral story as fake. The story being attributed to the visuals in the post is being shared on internet since many years. However the veracity of the story is not known. Hence the claim attributing the visuals to a woman from Kota is FALSE.
Video 1:
The viral video was initially reported in 2017. The article reported ‘a newborn baby was filmed clinging to her mum’s face just seconds after being born in Brazil’. However, nowhere in the article, it was mentioned that the woman was barren for 11 years or she died immediately after giving birth to a baby.  The incident has nothing to do with Kota, Rajasthan.
Image:
This image of a man dressed in a surgical apron crying is doing rounds on the internet for many years associating it with the same story (here). A reverse image search of the photo led us to an Instagram post, which initially shared the image. The image was initially shared on an Instagram account ‘ozgemetinphotography’, a baby photographer back in 2017. In response to a comment, the user of the account claimed that he clicked the image of a crying man, and the user ruled out the viral story associated with the image.
He claims that the man was crying because his baby was born as a healthy baby and not because his wife died. Snopes debunked the same image when it went viral back in 2017.
The other image in the collage where a newborn is seen clinging to her mother’s face was initially shared in 2015. A Facebook account that shares images of baby photography and wedding images shared this image in December 2015. However, the post did not mention anything like the mother died giving birth to the baby.
Video 2:
This video is also available on the internet for a few months. A reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a baby products agency’s Facebook page. The video was initially shared on this page in September 2021. However, we could not find any mention of the mother’s death following the birth or that the mother was barren for 11 years.
Although we could not independently verify the veracity of these visuals, the available evidence suggests that the viral context associated with these visuals is not true and the visuals are not from Rajasthan’s Kota.
To sum it up, the visuals of a newborn baby and her mother are being shared with a false and an old story.
Update (26 January 2022): Another image is also going viral with a similar claim of a woman from Jodhpur. The post also claims that the eyes of that woman were donated by the family after her death. While it is true that a woman named Suhani passed away during delivery in Jodhpur, the story associated is not true. Her family donated her eyes. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is the MP from Jodhpur also tweeted about the eye donation.
Update (03 March 2022): Another video is also being widely shared with a similar narrative. The video could be found on internet at least since May 2021, but none of these uploads had mentioned that the mother had died after giving birth or that she was barren for 11 years.

created: January 25, 2022


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Visuals of a Pakistani father affectionately kissing his newlywed daughter falsely shared as a Maulana kissing the bride - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 2, 2022
A social media post accompanying the video of an elderly Muslim man kissing a woman on the cheek is being widely circulated with a claim that visuals show a Maulana kissing the bride after her signing the marriage papers. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a Maulana kissing a bride.
Fact: The visuals actually show a  Pakistani father affectionately kissing his daughter after her signing the marriage documents. The visuals were originally captured by @zamalsamanphotography, a wedding photography firm. As the visuals went viral with a false claim, the photographers clarified that the visuals indeed show a father and daughter. Several Pakistani news agencies and journalists debunked the viral claim and reported that the visuals indeed show a father and daughter. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral visuals actually show a Pakistani father affectionately kissing his newlywed daughter, and this is not a recent incident but took place in 2020. Reverse image search of the viral photo led us to the earliest Facebook post, which shared the same visuals initially in August 2020. As per the description of the visuals, we can infer that the visuals show a father and daughter. Further, the post credits @zamalsamanphotography for the visuals.
Taking a cue from this, a further search led us to posts on ‘zamalsamanphotography’ Instagram and Facebook pages, which shared a clarification about these visuals. These posts clarified that the visuals indeed show a father and his newlywed daughter.
As the visuals went viral with a false claim, several news agencies and journalists have also published articles clarifying that the visuals actually show a father and daughter (here, here, here & here). Thus these establish the fact that the viral visuals are related to a father kissing her daughter at her wedding and not a maulana kissing the bride as claimed in the post.
To sum it up, visuals of a Pakistani father affectionately kissing his newlywed daughter are falsely shared as a Maulana kissing the bride.


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Visuals of a petrol bunk explosion in Pakistan is attributed to recent communal violence in Tripura - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 9, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of recent violence in Tripura. Sharing the video, this post accuses Tripura police of inciting violence in Tripura. In the wake of the recent communal violence in Tripura, this video is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of recent communal violence in Tripura.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a recent explosion that took place at a petrol pump in North Nazimabad, Pakistan. This video has nothing to do with the recent communal violence in Tripura. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, similar videos were found tweeted recently by a few users. They can be seen here and here. These users mentioned it as visuals of a recent fire explosion inside a petrol pump in the North Nazimabad area in Karachi, Pakistan. When we searched for other sources using these keywords, we found similar visuals in a video published by the ‘GTV Network’ YouTube channel on 29 October 2021. ‘GTV Network’ is a Pakistan-based news channel. This news channel published this video with the title, “Blast In North Nazimabad Petrol Pump | Karachi”.
On 29 October 2021, a massive explosion occurred inside a petrol pump located near Abdullah college in North Nazimabad, Pakistan. A short-circuit inside the electric room had reportedly resulted in this massive explosion in the petrol bunk. Four people were killed, and several others were injured during this accident. Reporting the details of this petrol bunk explosion, several Pakistan news websites have published articles and videos. They can be seen here, here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows a recent explosion in Pakistan, and is not related to Tripura.
To sum it up, a recent petrol bunk explosion video from Pakistan is being linked to the Tripura communal violence.

created: November 9, 2021


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Visuals of a protest in UP’s Chandauli are being falsely shared as from violence-hit Manipur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 3, 2023
A video of a naked transperson chasing down police personnel is being shared with a claim that the visuals show the current situation in Manipur. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a transperson chasing down police personnel in Manipur.
Fact: These visuals are from Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district, wherein supporters of a contestant in the municipal elections held in May 2023, staged a protest demanding a vote recount. During this protest, one transwoman chased down the police while being naked. The visuals have nothing to do with the currently violence hit Manipur. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
While it is true that the viral visuals show a transperson chasing police personnel, the visuals are, however, not from violence in Manipur, but from Uttar Pradesh.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded news reports that reported the same visuals. As per these reports, the visuals are from Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district and the incident took place during the municipal elections held in May 2023.
चंदौली: निकाय चुनाव में सोनू किन्नर नाम के प्रत्याशी ने चुनाव जीतकर सबको चौंका दिया। हालांकि 13 मई को मतगणना के दौरान का एक वीडियो सामने आया है जिसमें किन्नर समाज के लोग नग्न होकर हंगामा करते नजर आ रहे हैं। दरअसल बीजेपी प्रत्याशी की ओर से रिकाउंटिंग की मांग को लेकर विवाद खड़ा हुआ… pic.twitter.com/OwtdJU4YiR
On 13 May 2023, during the vote count for the UP civic elections, a clash occurred between the supporters of a candidate named Sonu Kinnar and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Subsequently, members of the transgender community who supported Sonu Kinnar demanded a vote recount and staged a protest while naked. During this scuffle, one transwoman chased police personnel with a stick, and visuals shared through the viral post are related to this clash.
Eventually, Sonu Kinnar was declared the winner after the recount of votes. Several news agencies have reported about the clash which can be viewed here, here, and here. Thus, it is evident that the viral visuals have nothing to do with Manipur.
To sum it up, visuals of a protest in UP’s Chandauli are being falsely shared as from violence-hit Manipur.


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Visuals of a recent violent clash between two Hindu families in Rajasthan is shared with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 24, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Muslims brutally assaulting a Hindu in Rajasthan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslims thrashing a Hindu in Rajasthan.
Fact: This incident took place on 19 September 2021 at Mansagar Khatik Mohalla near the Mahamandir police station area in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This violent scuffle took place between two Hindu families. There is no communal angle in the incident. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, an extended version of this video was found tweeted by a Dainik Bhaskar Journalist on 20 September 2021. He claimed that the incident in the video took place in Jodhpur and also, shared the ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ article published on this incident. This article reported that the persons belonging to two different families clashed violently with sticks and swords at Mansagar Khatik Mohalla near Mahamandir police station. This incident reportedly took place on 19 September 2021. According to the ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ article,  5 persons got injured in this clash and all the 10 accused in this incident were arrested by Mahamandir police.
Reporting the complete details of this incident, the ‘Patrika’ news website published an article on 20 September 2021. SHO Lekhraj Sihag, while speaking to the ‘Patrika’ had said, “ There was a Jagran in the locality on Saturday night on the occasion of Ananth Chaturdashi, where the youth of the opposing side reached and started arguing. The argument led to a fight. On Sunday afternoon, seven to eight youths from one side came armed with swords, iron pipes, rods, etc., and attacked Kailash’s son  Ajay’s standing near Jhalra Bera. His maternal uncle Kamlesh intervened, who was also attacked with iron rods”. The ‘Patrika’ news website mentioned the names of all the ten accused in their article. None of the names mentioned in the list is of a Muslim.
FACTLY also contacted the Mahamandir Police station for clarification regarding this scuffle. The Mahamandir police official had confirmed to FACTLY that the two families which clashed at Mansagar Khatik Mohalla belong to the same Hindu community. FACTLY has also accessed the FIR copy of the incident which mentions the same narrative and names.
To sum it up, a video of a violent clash between two Hindu families in Rajasthan is falsely shared with a communal angle.

created: September 24, 2021


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Visuals of a village located in Yemen falsely shared as of a village in Arunachal Pradesh where it never rains - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 1, 2022
A post that contains a video of a mountainous village claims it to be a place where it never rains. As per the post, this is because it is located above the clouds. Let’s verify these claims via this article.
Claim: Visuals of a village located in in Arunachal Pradesh where it never rains.
Fact: The video shows a village named Al-Hutayb located in Yemen. There is no scientific proof that it does not rain in a place if it is located above a layer of clouds. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search on Yandex with the screenshots of the video led us to a YouTube video. The post description mentions the place as Al-Hutaib, Also spelt as  Hutayb, Yemen. A quick search on google maps confirms that this place is indeed located in Yemen. We confirmed it after finding a video posted on Google Maps that is same as the video in the viral post.
We looked on the internet for the places on earth where it never rains. But none of the lists that we found mention AlHutaib, Yemen, as a place where it never rains. They can be read here and here.
The post claims that this video shows PasiGhat, Arunachal Pradesh, and it is a place where it never rains. We looked at the average rainfall in Pasighat, and according to tripcrafters.com, the average annual rainfall here is 153.5″. This post by world weatheronline.com also proves that Pasighat receives rainfall. If there is a place in India where it never rains, multiple reports about such a place would have been found, but a Google search with relevant keywords did not show any such report. Hence, we can conclude that PasiGhat is not the village where it never rains.
Does it really not rain in a place located above the clouds?
There are different types of clouds in the earth’s atmosphere. They are classified based on the distance they are located from the earth’s surface. According to NASA, at least five kinds of clouds form 2000 meters above the earth’s surface, producing precipitation in various capacities. So, Al-Hutaib, located 3200 meters above sea level, has at least four kinds of clouds that form below 2000 meters.
But one cloud type, Cumulonimbus, forms until 20,000 meters above the ground level. According to National Geographic, they produce thunderstorms and heavy rain. The same is written about the Cumulonimbus clouds in metoffice.gov.uk. So, there is still a chance of receiving rainfall in a place which is located above a specific cloud type unless it is above 20,000 meters or has extreme weather conditions. It is not possible on earth because the highest peak in the world is Mt.Everest which is located at an altitude of 8,849 m above sea level. A weather forecast report according to weatheratlas.com indicates that it does rain in Hutyab. In response to a FAQ question about how much it rains in Al-Hutyab, the website said, ‘Throughout the year, in Hutayb, there are 151.9 rainfall days, and 526mm (20.71″) of precipitation is accumulated.’
To summarise, visuals of a village located in Yemen is falsely shared as of a village in Arunachal Pradesh where it never rains.

created: August 1, 2022


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Visuals of a waterlogged road in Rohtak are being falsely linked to Delhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 7, 2022
In the light of ongoing monsoon, a video is being shared widely on social media claiming that the visuals of waterlogged streets are from Delhi, India. The description of the post says – “केजरीवाल ने दिल्ली को कबाड़ा बना कर रख दिया है केजरीवाल हर मोर्चे पर बिफल साबित हुए हैं सिर्फ दिखावा और झूठ बोलने में माहिर हैं आम आदमी पार्टी और केजरीवाल”. (English translation: Kejriwal has made Delhi into garbage. Kejriwal has proved to be a failure on every front. Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal are experts in only showing off and telling lies). Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent visuals of a waterlogged road in Delhi.
Fact: This video is from Rohtak, Haryana and is not related to Delhi. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
Reverse image search did not yield any noteworthy results. So, we followed the clues in the video. The first letter of the car’s number plate is ‘H’ , not ‘DL’. So, the vehicle was registered either in Haryana or Himachal Pradesh.
We can also see the names of two adjacent stores in the video- Jio Digital Life & Chopra Electricals.
Upon searching the web with these hints, we found that Chopra Electricals store is in ‘Civil Rd, HUDA Complex, Rohtak, Haryana 124001.’ Also, according to the Jio store Locater, a store is situated in ‘Shop No. 657/15, Gohana Road, Near Huda Hospital, Tehsil & Dist: Rohtak, Haryana 124001.’ A street view of both these stores can be seen below.
Upon further investigation, we found that many users have uploaded videos of Rohtak floods last week. They can be watched here and here.
Media reports also confirmed that there was a heavy downpour in Rohtak on 30 June 2022. These reports can be seen here and here. Also, AAP’s Haryana Unit shared a video in Twitter. An Aam Aadmi Party’s representative can be seen in this video explaining the situation of floods Rohtak. The pillar number is same in both the videos, indicating that both the videos were recorded in same location.
Even though Delhi recorded heavy rainfall last week, this video is not related to Delhi’s floods. Media reports on Delhi rains can be seen here and here
To sum it up, visuals of a waterlogged road in Rohtak are being falsely linked to Delhi.