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Video shows Pakistan officials destroying smuggled goods, not Afghan authorities destroying its citizens’ phones - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows Afghanistan authorities destroying the mobile phones of its citizens. Some users are also claiming that cell phones are banned in Afghanistan and the authorities confiscated all the phones. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Afghan authorities destroying the mobile phones of its citizens.
Fact: The video was not taken in Afghanistan. The uniformed personnel in the video are Pakistan Customs officials. The Pakistan flag and Pakistan Customs logo can be seen on the uniforms. The goods shown in the video are illegal contraband items seized by the officials. At regular intervals, the officials hold events and destroy the smuggled goods. While some news agencies reported about a few restrictions imposed by the Taliban on its people, there was no mention of any nation-wide ban on mobile phones. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the uniform of the personnel in the video carefully, one can find the Pakistan flag on the uniform.
So, when we searched with related keywords, many similar videos (with the same blue container in the background) were found on the internet. Some of those videos can be watched here, here, here, and here. In the description of the videos, it is written that these videos show Pakistan Custom officials (logo can be seen on the uniform) destroying the illegal contraband items seized by them. At regular intervals, the officials hold events and destroy the smuggled goods. The video shows one of such ‘Pakistan Customs Destruction Ceremony’. News reports regarding such events can be read here and here.
When we searched about the total mobile ban in Afghanistan, no specific news reports were found. While some news agencies reported about a few restrictions imposed by the Taliban on its people, there was no mention of any nationwide ban on mobile phones.
To sum it up, the video is not related to any mobile ban in Afghanistan. The video shows Pakistan Customs officials destroying contraband goods.

created: January 19, 2022


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Video shows people playing cricket inside a quarantine center in Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir), not in Gachibowli (Hyderabad) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2020
A video showing few men playing cricket inside an indoor stadium while few other are lying aside on beds is shared on social media claiming that the incident happened at the Gachibowli quarantine center in Hyderabad. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of people playing cricket inside the Gachibowli quarantine center in Hyderabad.
Fact: The video shows people playing cricket inside a quarantine facility in Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir), not at the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the video on Google with keywords, an article of ‘Times of India’ with the same video was found. As per that report, the video shows people playing cricket inside a quarantine facility in Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir). A Kashmiri journalist ‘Rifat Abdullah’ had also tweeted the video and said that the incident took place at a quarantine center in Baramulla District.
In April 2020, ‘Republic Tv’ reported that an indoor stadium in Baramulla was turned into COVID-19 quarantine center, which is same as the one shared in the post claiming to be Gachibowli quarantine center.
To sum it up, video showing people playing cricket inside a quarantine center in Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir) is shared as that from the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad.
Did you watch our new video?

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Video shows Tigress and Cubs in Uttar Pradesh in 2020; not in MP’s Chhindwara - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 19, 2022
Video of a Tigress along with its cubs roaming in the dark is being shared on social media claiming that they were spotted on the road in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Tigress and its cubs spotted in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh
Fact: The original video is posted by IFS officer Ramesh Pandey on Twitter on 09 November 2020. Video shows tigress and its four cubs spotted at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING
Reverse image search using the keyframes extracted from the viral video led us to a video posted by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Ramesh Pandey on 09 November 2020. The accompanying descriptions reads- “Brilliant and beautiful capture of tigress with cubs in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve by Field Director”. Dudhwa tiger reserve is located near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
Brilliant and beautiful capture of tigress with cubs in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve by Field Director. A worth watch. @ntca_india @UpforestUp pic.twitter.com/1maLjD13K7
Upon comparing the visuals from both the videos, we can say conclude that these two videos are same.
News reports by Indian Express and Times of India featuring this video can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, viral video shows tigress spotted at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh in 2020; not in MP’s Chhindwara.

created: November 19, 2022


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[Video] Understanding the New Film Certificate - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 20, 2020
The Central Board of Film Certification has made some interesting changes to film certificates. Viewers can now get access to the list of cuts suggested by the Board and report violations too. We tell you how in this video.
For detailed reading, please go through the following:
Modern life comes with many complications. To help you navigate through the labyrinth of rules in this age and also to make you aware of your rights as a citizen of India, we bring you Decode by Factly.

created: February 20, 2020


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[Video] When do Political Parties get recognized as 'State' or 'National' Party? - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 8, 2018
For detailed reading, Click here

created: November 8, 2018


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This video with fabricated audio falsely claims crowd chanted anti-Pakistan slogans at Hyderabad airport towards Pakistani cricket team - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 28, 2023
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is scheduled to take place in India from 05 October to 09 November 2023. Ahead of this event, the Pakistani cricket team landed in Hyderabad on 27 September 2023, for a warm-up match against New Zealand. In this context, a video in which a crowd is heard raising “Pakistan Murdabad” upon the Pakistani Cricket team’s arrival at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is being widely shared on social media platforms. Let’s verify the authenticity of the video.
Claim: Video of Pakistani cricket team’s arrival at Hyderabad airport where a crowd is heard raising “Pakistan Murdabad” slogans.
Fact: The audio in the viral video has been manipulated. Neither the original video nor the live-streamed visuals recorded any distinct anti-Pakistani slogans at that time. Hence, the claim in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the viral video led us to the earliest version of the same video. This video was uploaded on X (formerly Twitter) by the Cricket & Stuff page at 9:03 PM on 27 September 2023, shortly after the arrival of the flight carrying the Pakistani team.
Wherever he goes, there is only one name on everybody’s lips…
Babar Azam.
The King has arrived in Hyderabad💥 pic.twitter.com/oWMeriyKze
However, upon comparing the two audios, we discovered that the original video does not contain any distinct sounds of the crowd chanting ‘Pakistan Murdabad’, unlike the viral video.
To further verify the claim, we investigated the live stream visuals (here & here) reported by multiple media outlets at the time. Even in this footage, there’s no evidence of the crowd distinctly raising anti-Pakistani slogans, unlike the viral video. In addition, we found that the audio in the viral video is old and was taken from a Facebook video uploaded in August 2022. Comparing the audio in the viral video with that from the 2022 video confirms that the audio in the viral video has been altered with it.
Although we couldn’t independently verify if any anti/pro-Pakistani slogans were raised against the Pakistan team during this visit at any other point in time, it’s clear that the audio in this specific video clip was manipulated.
To sum it up, a video with altered audio is being circulated, falsely claiming that the crowd distinctly chanted ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ upon the arrival of the Pakistani cricket team at Hyderabad airport.

created: September 28, 2023


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Videos from Gujarat crematorium portrayed as plight of COVID-19 dead bodies in Maharashtra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 26, 2021
Multiple videos are being shared on social media claiming them as visuals of dead bodies waiting outside the crematoriums in Maharashtra. They can be seen here and here. In the wake of a massive surge in the COVID-19 cases across India, these videos are being widely shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of dead bodies waiting for cremation outside the crematoriums in Maharashtra.
Fact: This incident took place recently at a cemetery in Surat, Gujarat. This video shows a long queue of COVID-19 victims’ dead bodies awaiting cremation at Umra crematorium in Surat. This video has nothing to do with Maharashtra. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Video-1:
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals is found published on ‘Nation Next’ YouTube channel on 10 April 2021. The description of the video states, ‘Video of dead bodies lined up for cremation in Surat grim reminder of Covid-19 reality | Gujarat’. The man in the video could be heard saying in Gujarati, “This is the current situation in Gujarat. Hospitals are providing tokens to people so that they can claim their loved one’s dead bodies”.
When we searched for further details using these keywords, we found news articles published about dead bodies awaiting cremation in Surat. They can be seen here and here. These articles reported that a long queue of COVID-19 victims’ dead bodies waited hours for cremation at Umra crematorium in Surat.
Video-2:
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a similar visual of people in queues for the dead bodies cremation was found in an article published by ‘The Daily Guardian news website’. This article reported it as the visuals from a crematorium in Gujarat. Though we could not ascertain the exact location of the crematorium, it can be concluded that this video is from Gujarat, not Maharashtra.
To sum it up, videos related to the Gujarat crematorium are portrayed as the visuals of dead bodies awaiting cremation in Maharashtra.


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Videos made for entertainment purposes shared as visuals of currency coins grown inside plants - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 6, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of people discovering currency coins inside the roots of a plant. This video shows two men plucking the roots of a plant and extracting currency coins from inside. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of people discovering currency coins in plants.
Fact: A Pakistani TikTok user named Rana G has posted similar videos of extracting currency coins from vegetables and roots of plants. Rana G in multiple videos provided a description saying that the videos are created for entertainment and fun purposes. In a few videos, Rana G explained the process of how he re-attached the sliced vegetables using thin sticks. Though we could not ascertain the exact details of the video shared in the post, it can be confirmed that the video does not show a natural plant that grows money in its root branches as there is no evidence of coins growing inside plants. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, we could not find any reliable sources related to this video on the internet. When we searched for sources using relevant keywords on the internet, similar visuals of extracting money from vegetables and roots of plants are found in a Facebook video published by the ‘Al Arabiya’ news channel on 17 October 2021. ‘Al Arabiya’ in the Facebook post reported that videos of a Pakistani Tiktoker growing money inside vegetables, eggs and roots of plants went viral on social media. A watermark of a TikTok id ‘rana_g707’ can be seen at the bottom of the video published by Al Arabiya.
When we searched for further sources using this information, a similar video of a man extracting currency coins from the branches of a tree was found in the Instagram handle of ‘rana_g707’. Rana G published another video on his YouTube channel showing the visuals of him extracting money from the roots of a plant. In the description of multiple videos, Rana G stated that the videos are created for entertainment and fun purposes.
In a few videos, Rana G explained the process of how he re-attached the sliced vegetables and plant branches using thin sticks. They can be seen here and here. A few users shared a video of them extracting currency notes inside a fruit. There is no evidence of any plant on the earth capable of growing coins or currency notes inside its branches or roots. Earlier, when a similar video showing an egg grown to a plant went viral on social media, FACTLY published a fact-check article debunking that claim. Though we could not ascertain the exact details of the video shared in the post, it can be concluded from all these pieces of evidence that the video shared in the post does not show any natural plant where coins grow inside it.
To sum it up, videos made for entertainment purposes are shared as real visuals of currency coins grown inside plants.

created: December 6, 2022


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Video of a 2013 chemical attack in Syria are passed off as those from Tamil Nadu - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 22, 2021
A post accompanying a video showing numerous dead bodies of children on the floor is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that these dead bodies of children were found in a container in Tamil Nadu. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dead bodies of children are found inside a container in Tamil Nadu.
Fact: These visuals actually show fatalities of a chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria during the Syrian civil war back in 2013. There are multiple news articles and news reporting videos that carried visuals similar to this video. This video has nothing to do with Tamil Nadu. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of screenshots of the video in the post led us to a 2013 blog that shared an image similar to the visuals of the video. As per the blog, the image shows dead bodies of children who died in a chemical attack in Ghouta during the Syrian civil war back in August 2013.
Taking a cue from the blog, YouTube search with relevant keywords yielded us multiple 2013 news videos which carried visuals similar to the video in the post. A video by CNN also carried similar visuals. This report mentioned that the visuals show dead bodies of people who died in a chemical weapon attack in Syria back in 2013. Another news report of the Syrian chemical attack which carried similar visuals can be seen here.
Further Google search with relevant keywords led us to multiple 2013 news articles which reported the chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria. A news article by Aljazeera reported this chemical attack & carried visuals similar to the one in the post. Detailed analysis of this attack by Human Rights Watch also shared an image similar to the visuals of the video in the post. All these establish that the video shows dead bodies of a chemical attack in Syria back in 2013, and the video has nothing to do with Tamil Nadu.
When the same video and screenshots of the video went viral with a different claim, American fact-checking agency Snopes has fact-checked the claim and confirmed that these images are from a chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria.
To sum it up, video of 2013 chemical attack in Syria are passed off as those from Tamil Nadu.

created: January 22, 2021


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Videos of two different individuals shared as the footage of a Palestinian blogger recovered from an Israeli bomb attack in a day - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 1, 2023
A collage of videos is being shared on social media claiming that a Palestinian blogger miraculously recovered in one day after being attacked in the Israeli bomb attack. Claiming the injured man as an actor masquerading as a Palestinian victim, the post states, “Yesterday, he was “hospitalized,” today, he is walking and walking like nothing happened.”. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Videos of a Palestinian blogger who recovered from the Israeli bomb attack in one day.
Fact: The persons who appeared in the two videos are different. The first video shows Saleh Aljafarawi, a video creator from Gaza, Palestine. He published this video recently on 26 October 2023. The other video shows old visuals of a Palestinian youth who lost his leg during a reported Israeli raid in July 2023. The second video has been circulating on social media at least since August 2023. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Video 1:
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, the same video was found posted by a Palestinian video creator named Saleh Aljafarawi on 26 October 2023. He published the video on Instagram stating- “For the first time in my life I witnessed a crime like this!! More than 30 missiles landed in front of my eyes. An entire area was wiped out.”
Saleh Aljafarawi has been documenting the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza and published similar videos on his Instagram handle. A few of those videos can be seen here, here, and here. We could not find the second video on the social media handles of Saleh Aljafarawi.
Video 2:
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, we found that the video has been circulating on social media at least since August 2023.
The injured individual can also be seen in a photo published by the International Solidarity Movement website on 25 August 2023. He is identified as Mohammed Zendiq, a 16-year-old who had his leg amputated during a reported Israeli raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp on 24 July 2023.
The TikTok account @hamode.zandek has been posting video clips of Zendiq’s journey since his hospital visit in August 2023, providing regular updates on his process of recovery. The latest video posted on this TikTok handle showed Zendiq with only one leg. On the other hand, Instagram posts from Aljafarawi’s accounts in October show him with both legs.
To sum it up, videos of two different individuals are shared as the visuals of a Palestinian blogger recovered from an Israeli bomb attack in a day.

created: November 1, 2023


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Government Launches the ‘Vidya Lakshmi’ Portal for Educational Loans
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2015
Availing an educational loan is a great difficulty faced by students who wish to pursue their studies. To solve this problem, the government has launched the ‘Vidya Lakshmi’ Portal, a one stop shop for information and application on educational loans extended by various Banks. The portal boasts of a common loan application form for all the banks and computerization of the entire process of loan application.
Availing an educational loan is a great difficulty faced by students who wish to pursue their studies. The information on loans, collateral etc is not easily available and that makes the process of availing loans a purely discretionary affair, the success of which depends up on the kind of contacts a student has. To ensure that the information about loans is available to everyone and the process of applying for educational loans is hassle free, NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (NSDL e-Gov)  has launched the Vidya Lakshmi Portal. The portal has been developed under the guidance of Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
Background
The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget for 2015-16 had proposed to set-up a fully IT based Student Financial Aid Authority to administer and monitor Scholarship as well as Educational Loan Schemes, through the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram (PMVLK) to ensure that no student misses out on higher education for lack of funds. The government says that the launch of this Portal is a first step towards achieving the objective.
What is in this Portal?
The Vidya Lakshmi Portal provides a single window mechanism for Students to access information and make application for Educational Loans provided by Banks and also Government Scholarships. The Portal has the following features
What is the Status of the Portal?
So far, 13 Banks have registered 22 Educational Loan Schemes on the Vidya Lakshmi Portal and 5 Banks (SBI, IDBI Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank & Union Bank of India) have integrated their system with the Portal for providing loan processing status to students. This initiative aims to bring on board all Banks providing Educational Loans.
The Government expects all the students in need of educational loans to be benefitted by this initiative.
Some Screenshots    The Common Application Form
List of Loan schemes by various Banks
Information of the Specific Loan Scheme


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Vijay Mallya did not contribute Rs. 35 crores to BJP in the year 2016. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 20, 2024
An image of cheque, purportedly signed by Vijay Mallya and issued to the Bharatiya Janata Party is being widely circulated on social media platforms with the claim that Mallya had contributed Rs. 35 crores to the BJP before fleeing to London. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: A cheque for Rs. 35 crore was issued as donation to the BJP by Vijay Mallya in 2016 before he fled to London.
Fact: According to the information available on the Election Commission of India website regarding donations received by various political parties in the 2016-17 fiscal year, the BJP received a total of five hundred and twenty-eight crore rupees (Rs. 528,79,33,206) in donations. However, neither the name of Vijay Mallya nor the names of the companies related to Mallya are mentioned anywhere in the list of those who have given these donations to the BJP. Moreover, the signature on the cheque shared in the post is also not that of Vijay Mallya. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet to determine whether Mallya has indeed given Rs. 35 crores to the BJP. However, we didn’t find any reliable reports stating that Mallya has contributed Rs. 35 crores to the BJP.
The cheque shared in the post was issued in the name of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in November 2016. We checked the Election Commission of India website to gather information regarding contributions received by the BJP in 2016. However, we didn’t find any contribution made by Mallya to the BJP in that report. According to the details provided to the Election Commission by the BJP, the party received a total of five hundred and twenty-eight crore rupees (Rs. 528,79,33,206) in donations during the 2016-17 fiscal year. However, neither the name of Vijay Mallya nor the names of companies related to Mallya are mentioned in the list of contributors.
We can observe that the name of the Bharatiya Janata Party was misspelt on the cheque shared in the post (‘Bharatiya Janata Party’ was misspelt as ‘Bhartiya Janta Party’). Moreover, the signature on the cheque shared in the post does not match with Vijay Mallya’s signature. Several news agencies (here & here) have also published articles reporting that the image of the cheque showing Vijay Mallya’s Rs. 35 crore contribution to the BJP is fake.
To sum it up, Vijay Mallya did not contribute Rs. 35 crores to BJP in the year 2016.

created: February 20, 2024


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Vijay Mallya was sentenced to imprisonment in the contempt of court case, not in the 9000 crore bank loan default case. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 14, 2022
A social media post which claims that the Supreme Court has penalized Vijay Mallya with four months jail term and Rs. 2000 fine in Rs. 9000 crore loan case is being widely shared across all platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Supreme Court has penalized Vijay Mallya with four months jail term and Rs. 2000 fine in Rs. 9000 crore loan case.
Fact: Recently, the Supreme Court sentenced Vijay Mallya to imprisonment. However, the court pronounced this judgement in a contempt of court case and not for a loan default case filed against him. In 2017, the SBI consortium approached the SC with a contempt of court petition against Vijay Mallya, alleging that he hid a financial transaction of $40 million against the court order in a case related to Rs. 9000 crore loan default. The court held Vijay Mallya guilty of this contempt of court petition back in May 2017 itself. However, the judgment is pronounced recently. This judgement against contempt of court petition is being misconstrued as the court sentenced Mallya to jail in the 9000 crore loan default case. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The Supreme Court of India on 11 July 2022 sentenced liquor baron Vijay Mallya to four months imprisonment and Rs. 2000 fine. In case of failure to deposit the fine amount within the stipulated time, he would have to undergo further sentence of two months.
While it is true that the SC has penalized Vijay Mallya with jail term, the court pronounced this judgment in a contempt of court case filed in 2017 and not in the money laundering case in which Vijay Mallya is alleged of laundering over Rs. 9000 crores lent by multiple banks. Further, it is noteworthy to mention that the apex court had found him guilty of contempt in 2017.
What was the 2017 contempt case against Vijay Mallya?
Earlier, Vijay Mallya was dragged to court by SBI led consortium of banks alleging him of defaulting loans over Rs. 9000 crores. A case was filed in the Karnataka High Court and his properties were attached.
In matters related to the above mentioned loan defaulte case, SBI led consortium of banks in 2017 approached the Supreme Court alleging that Vijay Mallya was not complying with the court orders regarding disclosure of assets and financial transactions. The bank consortium has alleged that Mallya in violation of court rulings transferred $40 million to his children.
The Supreme Court later in May 2017 held Vijay Mallya guilty of contempt of court for transferring $40 million to his children in violation of the Karnataka High court’s order and subsequently the court reserved its judgment.
It is on 11 July 2022 that the Supreme Court pronounced the judgement sentencing Mallya with imprisonment. Further, the court directed that Mallya, and his beneficiaries are bound to deposit the amount received by them, along with 8% interest per annum, with the recovery officer concerned within four weeks.
All this shows that the recent SC’s judgment in a contempt of court case against Mallya is misconstrued as the Supreme Court sentencing him to jail in the Rs. 9000 crore loan default case. Though the contempt of court case has it roots in the loan default case, the recent judgment is not the result of the loan default case.
To sum it up, the Supreme Court sentenced Vijay Mallya to imprisonment for contempt of court, not in the Rs. 9000 crores loan default case.


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Does NCRB crime data present an accurate picture of crime on ground?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2019
In part 2 of this series, we look at various categories of violent crime and crime against women to understand the large variance in certain states. This is to explore if NCRB data presents an accurate picture of the crime on ground?
Inthe first
part of this series,  we explored the overall state of the crimesacross the different states in India. Apart from numbers at a higher level, wealso tried to drill down further and understand the data based on theclassification of the crimes reported with a focus on the state of violentcrimes committed across the different states/UTs in India.
Inthis story, we look at further break down of the different types of crimesunder violent crimes, and also look into other crimes being committed whichmight not necessarily get reported and hence be a part of the NCRB data. Inother words, we also look into crime reporting in India and the scope ofinconsistencies in the same.
Kidnapping
& Abduction along with Grievous Hurt and Rioting account for bulk of the
Violent Crimes
NCRB’s
CII (Crime in India) report -2017, statesthat a total of 4,26,825 cases were recorded as violent crimes in 2017. Thereport further segregates the violent crimes under 15 different heads as perdifferent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
95,893cases were recorded under the head ‘Kidnapping and Abduction’ under IPCsections 363-369.Crimes under the head ‘Grievous
hurt’ have the second highest cases of recorded crimes acrossthe country with 93,316 cases.
58,880cases were reported under Rioting
(IPC Sections 147-151 & I53 A), with acaveat that all the rioting cases were included irrespective of whether theyresulted in any injuries or body harm. Earlier, Factly did a story in respect to riots and communal incidents in India.
51,621cases of ‘Attempt to Commit Murder’ and 28,653 cases of ‘Murder’ were recordedacross the states/UTs in 2017. NCRB data also shows that there were 32,559cases of rape.
Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal with highest incidence of top four Violent
crimes
Asnoted earlier, the head ‘Kidnapping and Abduction’ has the highest number ofrecorded crimes under violent crimes. Uttar Pradesh is the state with thehighest number of crimes under this head with 19,921 recorded cases.Maharashtra recorded 10,324 cases while Bihar recorded 8,479 cases of ‘Kidnappingand Abduction’.
Whilethese three states are among the states with the highest population, Delhi andAssam which have relatively lower total population, also recorded a high numberof crimes under this head with 6,095 and 7,857 recorded cases respectively.
WestBengal recorded the highest number of crimes under the head ‘grievous hurt’with 21,828 cases followed by Bihar and Uttar Pradesh with 12,867 and 11,508cases respectively. Assam recorded a significantly higher number of casescompared to the size of its population with 10,397 cases even under this head.
Bihar,Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra top the list of states with the highest number ofcrimes reported under the head ‘Rioting’.
Biharrecorded a high number of crimes even for ‘Attempt to commit murder’ with 9,585cases. Uttar Pradesh has comparatively lower number of cases under thiscategory with 4,939. West Bengal tops the list with 11,710 cases of ‘Attempt tocommit murder’ recorded in 2017 as per NCRB data.
Keralaand Tamil Nadu which are among the states with the overall highest number of recordedcrimes have significantly lesser numbers in these top 4 heads for violentcrimes. Especially, Kerala has lesser number of crimes recorded with theexception of Rioting.
UP
has a higher incidence recorded crimes under Murder, Rape and Robbery
UttarPradesh and Bihar and West Bengal also lead in the yet another head of violentcrimes i.e. ‘Murder’.  A total of 4,324 murdercases in UP and 2,803 & 2,001 in Bihar and West Bengal respectively wererecorded in 2017.  On the other hand, Keralahas only 305 recorded murder cases with Delhi being the other state with lessernumber of cases for murder.
MadhyaPradesh, UP and Rajasthan have a higher incidence of rape cases recorded forthe year 2017. Kerala recorded 2003 cases of rape, which is higher compared tothe other heads under violent crimes. Assam, Delhi and Haryana have highercases registered under this category from an overall population perspective. Biharand West Bengal which are among the leading states for most of the violentcrimes have  fewer number of recordedrape cases with 605 and 1,084 cases respectively.
‘Robbery’accounted for 7 highest number of cases recorded under violentcrimes. Nearly 1/5 of the total cases under this head are fromMaharashtra with 6,451 cases, followed by UP and Delhi. West Bengal recordedonly 369 robbery cases compared to its numbers under other heads of violentcrimes.
More
cases of Crime against Women recorded in Assam and Delhi while Bihar records
relatively fewer such cases
Rapeis one of the prominent violent crimes recorded in the NCRB data. In additionto the data on cases of rape, NCRB’s CII report-2017, furnishes data relatingto the various crimes
committed against women. The data included crimescommitted under different sections of IPC and various SLLs. Few of thecategories of crimes committed against woman includes – Rape, Murder with Rape,Dowry deaths, Acid Attacks, Cruelty by Husband/his relatives, Kidnapping andabduction of women, Insult to modest of Women etc.
UttarPradesh has the highest number of recorded cases of crime against women with56,011 cases. Maharashtra and West Bengal rank second and third followed byMadhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Bihar, which as noted earlier was leading in mostof the violent crimes has comparatively fewer number of recorded crimes againstwomen with 14,711 cases.
Assamrecorded comparatively a greater number of recorded crimes against women with23,082 cases. This is more evident when the rate of crime is considered. Rateof incidence of crime here is defined as number of cases per 1,00,000 women.The population is considered by extrapolating 2001 census data of womenpopulation to mid 2017. Assam has the highest rate of crimes committed againstwomen in India with 143.6 crimes per one lakh women. Delhi stands next with133.3 while the states of Telangana and Odisha are among the states with higherrate of crimes with 94.7 and 94.5 cases per one lakh women.  Kerala which has 11,057 cases of crimesagainst women in 2017 recorded a rate of 60.2 cases per one lakh women.
UttarPradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra which were the states with the highestnumber of cases, have a moderate rate of 53.2, 67.3 and 55 cases per one lakhwomen respectively. The lower reported incidence of crime against women inBihar becomes more conspicuous with the rate being 28.8, among the lowest inthe country. Nagaland records the lowest rate of crimes against women with 6.9cases per one lakh women.
Bihar
and U.P have lower rates of reported crimes against women.
NCRB’sCII-2017 report segregates the crimes against women into different categories.This offers more insights into the numbers relating each of the specificcrimes.
Itwas already observed that in the case of Uttar Pradesh, even though the numberof recorded crimes against women is the highest, the rate of crime is moderate.When the rate of crime is further broken down into the various heads, we couldsee the rate of cases in respect to Rape is 4 per one lakh women, attempt tocommit rape as 0.6 and abetment to suicide as 0.3 per one lakh women. On theother hand, the rate of Dowry deaths, cruelty by Husband/relatives, kidnappingetc. have higher rates compared to other states.
Biharalso has a similar trend where in rate of dowry deaths and Kidnapping are amongthe highest in the country, while it is among the lowest for other categories.
Assamhas higher rates of crime against women in most of the categories, esp. with avery high rate of crimes reported under ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’.
Stateslike Kerala, Tamil Nadu do not have much variance in comparison to theirstanding among other states across the different categories of crime againstwomen.
Odishahas a significantly higher rate under ‘assault on women with intent to outrageher modesty’ with 42.9 cases per lakh women.
Thetwo Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have higher rates under ‘abetmentto suicide’ and  ‘cruelty by husband orhis relatives’ compared to most other states.
Huge
variance in the way different types of crimes are reported across various
states.
Inour earlier stories regarding NCRB data, we have highlighted the issues withthe data provided by NCRB. One of the key
limitations is that these numbers are dependent on FIRs beingfiled or only police recorded crimes. There could be instances, like in case ofcommunal riots data wherein, when alternate data is available and compared the NCRB’s CII report does notaccount for all the incidents.
Thisleads to apprehensions on a crime being reported and FIR being filed , in-spiteof an advisory from Ministry of Home affairs (MHA) to register all complaints withoutdiscrimination. A study conducted by TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences)and sponsored by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) of theGovernment of India, titled ‘A Study on Non-Registration of
Crimes: Problems & Solutions’ , throwssome light on the problems in reporting and registration of a crime. This studywas a qualitative and quantitative study with data being collected from six states across the country.
Thereport identified the following as potential reasons for under reporting of crime.
TheNCRB’s crime statistics show a correlation with these problems identified inunder reporting. For example, in Bihar and UP, the cases resulting in death (dowry)and abduction have higher rates while cases like assault on women, attempt tocommit rape or rape etc. have comparatively lesser rates. This could mean thatcrimes which cannot be hidden(murder/death) or which has other partycomplaining (abduction) result in FIRs being filed but cases which can beinfluenced, or which have a stigma attached like attempt to rape etc. are beingunder reported. Even in cases relating to rape, the occurrence of rape has betterreporting compared to an attempt to rape.
It is also observed that in the case of states with better development indices like Kerala, there is less variance in their standing among the states for various categories of crime. These observations are not uniform and there could be many other factors which influence the reporting of a crime across different states. Only a thorough study to identify such problems and implementation of remedial measures could result in better crime data for India.
Featured Image: Violent Crimes in India

created: November 15, 2019


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Viplove Thakur made Modi silent? No, he was not present in the Rajya Sabha during her speech - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 10, 2020
A video of Viplove Thakur, a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, is being shared widely on social media with a claim that she made Modi silent with her speech in the Parliament. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of Viplove Thakur making Modi silent with her speech in the Parliament.
Fact: Viplove Thakur was referring to Modi’s government in her speech and was asking the interrupting BJP members, not Modi, to sit silently. Modi was not there in the house while she was making her speech. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
At the beginning of the video, the clips of Viplove Thakur’s speech in Rajya Sabha and Modi standing silently were shown and it is being claimed that Viplove Thakur made Modi silent with her speech. By just looking at the video, it can be observed that the visuals of Viplove Thakur were taken from the Rajya Sabha and the visuals of Modi were taken from the Lok Sabha. Let’s try to find whether Modi was present in the house (Rajya Sabha) while Viplove Thakur was making her speech.
It can be seen that Viplove Thakur started her speech regarding the ‘Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address’ in Rajya Sabha at 2:36 pm. Her full speech can be watched on the Rajya Sabha YouTube channel and the transcript of her speech can be found on the Rajya Sabha website. In the video, it can be seen that Modi was not there in the house while she was making her speech, as he is absent in his seat. (According to Rajya Sabha’s seating arrangement, ‘the first seat on the right side of the Chair is reserved for the Leader of the House and the second seat for the Prime Minister’.)
In other videos, on the Rajya Sabha YouTube channel, it can be seen that Modi entered the house at 5:11 pm while Ramdas Athawale was talking and began his speech at 5:14 pm.
To sum it up, Viplove Thakur made Modi silent? No, he was not present in the Rajya Sabha during her speech. Viplove Thakur was referring to the Modi Government in her speech and not Modi.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?

created: February 10, 2020


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VIPs exempted from Security Check at Indian Airports - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 14, 2015
So, who are those VVIPs that are exempted from the pre-embarkation security check at the civilian airports in the country? What is the basis for extending such exemptions?
The reply received from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India in response to an RTI application filed by us has the following information.
According to the reply, a total of 32 categories of people are exempted from pre-embarkation security check at the civilian airports. Such exemption is granted on the basis of the following
Based on the above grounds, Government of India has exmepted the following categories of people from pre-embarkation checks at civilian airports.
President
Vice President
Prime Minister
Governors of States
Former Presidents
Former Vice President
Chief Justice of India
Speaker of Lok Sabha
Union Ministers of Cabinet rank
Chief Ministers of States
Deputy Chief Ministers of States
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha
Holders of Bharat Ratna Decoration
Ambassadors of foreign countries, charge D’ Affairs and High Commissioners and their spouses
Judges of Supreme Court
Chief Election Commissioner
Comptroller & Auditor General of India
Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha & Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
Minister of State of the Union Council of Ministers
Attorney General of India
Cabinet Secretary
Lt Governors of Union Territories
Chiefs of staffs holding the rank of full General or equivalent rank
Chief Justices of the High Courts
Chief Ministers of Union Territories
Deputy Chief Ministers of Union Territories
Visiting Foreign dignitaries of the same status at SI. Nos. 1 to 4,7,8,9 above
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
SPG Protectees
Spouse of the President of India is exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports even when he/she is not accompanying the President
Former Prime Ministers of India
Note: The Accompanying spouse of the above said VVIPs/VIPs is also exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country
(The Special Protection Group (SPG)  is one of the eight Central Armed Police Forces of India formed in 1988 by an act of the Parliament of India for “providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Minister of India and members of their immediate families.” Family members of a serving Prime Minister (PM) may decline security. Former PMs and their immediate family members may also, if they choose, decline SPG security.)
Recent Changes to the List
This list has undergone changes lately after the furore over the inclusion of Mr. Robert Vadra’s name. This new list of VVIPs/VIPs who are exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country does not include the name of  Mr. Robert Vadra. The only other change compared to the old list is an additional note at the bottom of this list that says, ‘The Accompanying spouse of the above said VVIPs/VIPs is also exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country’.
This  means that if Mr. Robert Vadra is accompanying Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi and if she is a SPG protectee, then Mr. Vadra would still be exempted from pre-embarkation check.
PS: The list could change in the future. This will be updated as and when it is done.

created: December 14, 2015


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Viral Ad for Bakrid Sacrifice Attributed to Dainik Jagran is False - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 15, 2023
The image of an advertisement by Dainik Jagran, featuring the tagline “Ek Muhalla Ek Bakra” (Translation: “One Neighborhood, One Goat“), has been widely shared on social media. The translated description of the ad reads, “This Bakrid, consider sacrificing only one goat for the entire community, if feasible. This can promote community bonding, reduce bloodshed, decrease water waste, and prevent the spread of filth.” Let’s check the veracity of the post through this article.
Claim: Image of a newspaper ad by Dainik Jagran with a tagline ‘Ek Muhalla Ek Bakra’.
Fact: The viral image claiming to be an advertisement by Dainik Jagran with the tagline “Ek Muhalla Ek Bakra” (Translation: “One Neighbourhood, One Goat”) is a morphed image and was never published by the newspaper. The original ad, published in the Moradabad edition on 04 March 2023, has the tagline “Ek Muhalla Ek Holika” (Translation: “One Neighborhood, One Bonfire (Holika Dahan)”). As per the newspaper, this campaign is aimed at promoting eco-friendliness and community feeling by urging people to perform Holika Dahan at a single location in the neighbourhood, thereby reducing pollution. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
After conducting an internet search using relevant keywords, we did not find any evidence that Dainik Jagran launched a campaign promoting the sacrifice of only one goat for Bakrid. In fact, the newspaper has recently promoted eco-friendly practices through a campaign called “Ek Muhalla, Ek Holika” (Translation: “One Neighborhood, One Bonfire (Holika Dahan)”), which encourages communities to come together for a single, eco-friendly bonfire.
Further research revealed that an ad related to this campaign was published in Dainik Jagran’s Moradabad edition on 04 March 2022. The ad titled Ek Mohalla, Ek Holika says, ‘On this Holi, let’s try to avoid arranging Holika Dahan (Bonfire) at multiple places and celebrate one ritual for the entire locality as far as possible. This will reduce pollution and increase community feeling.’
After comparing the viral image with the advertisement, it is evident that the text in the viral image has been digitally inserted.
To sum it up, the photo circulating on social media, which shows an advertisement by Dainik Jagran promoting the sacrifice of only one goat per neighbourhood, has been morphed.


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Viral claim of AAP blaming PM Modi for not providing stipend for women is not true - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2022
In light of the upcoming elections to the Himachal Pradesh assembly which are due in November 2022, a social media post criticising AAP’s poll promise of providing monthly stipend of Rs. 1,000 to every woman in Himachal Pradesh is being widely circulated. The post claims that AAP has made a similar promise in Punjab and after the elections, it backtracked blaming PM Modi for not providing funds. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: AAP backtracking on the promise of providing Rs. 1,000 every month to every woman above 18 in Punjab blaming PM Modi for not providing enough funds.
Fact: AAP promised to provide thousand rupees stipend to women of Punjab . However, there are no reports of AAP backtracking on the promise and blaming PM Modi for not providing with funds. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Punjab Poll Promise :
Providing a monthly stipend of thousand rupees to every woman aged above eighteen, was one of the many promises AAP made before elections in Punjab. Even in his speech following his oath-taking ceremony, speaking of his government’s priorities, Bhagwant Mann said that every woman of Punjab would be given a pension of Rs 1,000 every month.
However, over the course of time, neither the state unit nor the central unit of AAP has said that they could not keep up with the promise as PM Modi is not helping with the funds to implement the scheme. There are no reports in this regard.
In fact, speaking about his poll promises, AAP’s newly elected Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann through a Facebook post dated 11 April 2022, sought time from the people of the state. ‘Punjabis, give some time! Have a little patience. There’s nothing I don’t remember by mouth’ wrote Mann.
Earlier at the end of March 2022, Bhagwant Mann called on Prime Minister Modi in Delhi and sought a special financial package of one lakh crores from the Center. Following Mann’s meeting with Prime Minister, Punjab BJP targeted AAP saying, ‘the party was seeking money for the freebies it announced at the time of state polls.’
In all likelihood, political statements like these could be the source of the viral post. However, as of now, AAP has not made any official statement saying it could not keep up with the promise of providing a stipend to every woman.
As per the recent news,  Bhagwant Mann met AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi to discuss the agenda of providing free electricity in Punjab for up to 300 units.
Himachal Poll Promise :
As of now, AAP has not made any such promise of providing a monthly stipend to women in light of the upcoming Himachal elections.
As far as the image of the billboard is concerned, the viral image is a digital version of an old billboard featuring Arvind Kejriwal. Reverse image search of the viral photo led us to a couple of 2015 news reports, that published a similar image but with a different caption (here & here).
Upon comparison of the viral image with the image published in the old article, it is evident that this old image is digitally edited and the promise of providing a monthly stipend to women in Himachal is added. The original image carries Arvind Kejriwal’s image with a caption that reads ‘Dhanyawad Delhi’.
As per news reports, the billboards thanking people of Delhi cropped up in the city following the party’s victory in the assembly elections. Further, the billboards feature a new look of Arvind Kejriwal, wherein he can be seen wearing a jacket.
To sum it up, the viral claim of AAP blaming PM Modi for not providing funds to implement the stipend for women scheme is not true.


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Viral document mentioning bizarre conditions related to Imran Khan's arrest is fabricated - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 16, 2023
A social media post accompanying an image of a document that mentions certain bizarre conditions under which Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan was arrested is being widely shared. The agreement which has been printed on the letterhead of PTI, stipulates that Khan will not be stripped naked, nor will he be raped as he is a piles patient, and he will not be tortured which any penetrating items like rods, bamboo, etc. Through this article let’s fact-check the authenticity of the document shared in the post.
Claim: Document mentioning certain bizarre conditions under which Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan was arrested.
Fact: The viral document is a fabricated one and no such arrest agreement has been signed. Pakistan’s Geo News confirmed the same. Further, there is a mismatch between the signatures of the concerned officials in the viral letter and the signatures on their respective official documents. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
It appears that the document was issued jointly by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, and Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar. However, a relevant keyword search on Google led us to a tweet by Geo News, which clarified the document as fake.
The tweet further added that “Yousuf Naseem Khokhar, the interior secretary, had retired on March 7, while the viral letter is dated May 8.”  Taking a cue from this, a relevant search yielded news reports that confirm Yousaf Naseem Khokhar’s retirement on 07 March 2023. These reports can be viewed here and here.
Further, there is a mismatch between the spelling/signature of the interior secretary, Yousaf Naseem Khokhar in the viral document and that of the official document, available on the website of the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency.
All these ascertain the fact that the viral document highlighting some bizarre conditions is not real but fabricated.
To sum it up, a viral document mentioning bizarre conditions related to Imran Khan’s arrest is fabricated.


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Viral Gazette Notification claiming that the Government of India appointed Rajesh Kumar Gupta and Priyansh Sharma as Election Commissioners is Fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2024
Update (15 March 2024): The President of India has appointed Gyanesh Kumar, IAS(Retd.) and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, IAS(Retd.) as Election Commissioners in the Election Commission of India on 14 March 2024.
A post featuring a gazette notification claiming that Dr. Rajesh Kumar Gupta (retd IAS) and Shri. Priyansh Sharma (retd IAS) are appointed to the Election Commission of India (ECI) is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dr. Rajesh Kumar Gupta (retd IAS) and Shri. Priyansh Sharma (retd IAS) were appointed to the Election Commission of India as Election Commissioners.
Fact: The Government of India has not officially announced the appointment of Dr. Rajesh Kumar Gupta (retd IAS) and Shri. Priyansh Sharma (retd IAS) as the two election commissioners to the Election Commission of India. PIB Fact Check has confirmed that the gazette notification circulating on social media is fake. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a relevant keyword search regarding the claim, we did not find any official announcements or gazette indicating that the Government of India appointed two election commissioners to the ECI.
Subsequent research led us to a post on X by the PIB Fact Check stating that this news is fake and that the government did not issue such a Gazette.
A notification regarding the appointment of two Election Commissioners to the Election Commission of India is circulating on social media #PIBFactCheck
✔This notification is #fake
✔No such Gazette notification has been issued. pic.twitter.com/VUCgl4l8wS
This situation came up following Election Commissioner Arun Goel’s resignation and the news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led panel planning to appoint new Election Commission members by 15 March 2024.  The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Dr. Jaya Thakur have urged the government to appoint the new Election Commission members, following the guidelines set by the Anoop Baranwal vs. Union of India case. This case states that the President should appoint the chief election commissioner and election commissioners based on recommendations from a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India. However, a new law, The Chief Election Commission, and other Election Commissions (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, has replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Cabinet Minister on the committee. The petitioners are asking for the Chief Justice of India to be reinstated on the committee. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petitions on 15 March 2024.
In the meanwhile, media has reported that the PM-led committee picked retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners on 14 March 2024.
To sum up, viral Gazette Notification claiming that the Government of India appointed Rajesh Kumar Gupta and Priyansh Sharma as Election Commissioners is Fake.


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Viral image is an artistic representation, not a real photograph of Pragyan rover imprints on Moon - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 24, 2023
Update (25 August 2023): Today, ISRO has released footage of the Pragyan rover from Chandrayaan-3 as it rolls down from the Vikram lander, captured by the lander imager camera. The ISRO logo and National Emblem symbols can be seen embossed on the two rear wheels of the rover.
Following the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module on the lunar surface on 23 August 2023 and the subsequent deployment of the Pragyan rover, an image that shows the State Emblem of India and ISRO’s logo positioned between tyre marks is being widely shared on social media. The claim accompanying the image suggests that these markings are the imprints from the wheels of the Pragyan lander, given that the rover’s wheels have been embossed with these symbols. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image depicting imprints on the Moon’s surface created by the wheels of the Pragyan rover, featuring the State Emblem of India and ISRO’s logo.
Fact: The viral image is purely an artwork. ISRO has not yet released images of the Pragyan rover’s wheel impressions on the lunar surface. However, the rear wheels of the Pragyan rover are embossed with the State Emblem of India and ISRO’s logo. These symbols will be imprinted on the terrain along the tyre tracks, but not in between the two tyre marks. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
As per ISRO’s official website, the Pragyan rover’s rear wheels bear two embossed symbols: one displaying the State Emblem of India, and the other showcasing ISRO’s logo. As the rover travels across the lunar surface, these symbols will be impressed upon the terrain along the tyre tracks. However, they will not appear between the two tyre marks, as shown in the viral image. This alignment can be observed in the visuals presented within the representative animation video released by ISRO.
However, at the time of writing this article, ISRO had not released any official real images depicting the imprints of the Pragyan rover on the lunar surface. Furthermore, during our internet search using the name “Krishanshu Garg” to trace the origin of the credited viral image, we came across an Instagram account under the same name. The account holder, Krishanshu Garg, provided clarity through Instagram stories that the viral image is exclusively a work of art. When contacted earlier by ‘The Quint’, he stated that he made this art using Photoshop software.
Similarly, in an earlier instance, the Chandrayaan-2 mission launched in 2019 also featured the Pragyan rover, with its wheels embossed with the same symbols as those of the recent Chandrayaan-3 mission. Likewise, NASA’s Curiosity rover had its wheels embossed with a distinctive pattern referred to as “Morse code.” This intricate arrangement comprised small, raised dots and dashes forming the Morse code representation of “JPL,” which stands for Jet Propulsion Laboratory—an entity overseeing the mission. This embossed pattern served various purposes, including visual identification, navigation, and engineering reference.
To sum it up, the viral image does not depict imprints on the Moon’s surface created by the wheels of the Pragyan rover.


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Viral Image of Snake with Alleged Nagamani Is Manipulated - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 7, 2023
An image depicting a snake with a radiant gem on its head is circulating widely on social media. The claim accompanying the photo states that it shows a snake with the legendary snake stone, or “Nagamani.”. In addition to the primary image, several other photos have been shared, showcasing a bright light spot near the snake, purportedly representing the Nagamani. Let’s uncover the truth behind these claims.
Claim: Images depicting a snake with a brightly lit snake-stone, or Nagamani, on its head and surroundings.
Fact: The image of the snake with the alleged Nagamani on its head is manipulated. However, a snake catcher from a village in Madhya Pradesh claimed that he recently observed a bright, shining object near the snake he captured, but he was unsure of its nature. Although we could not independently verify the cause of the bright spot near the snake in other images, there is no evidence supporting the existence of snakes emitting or carrying shining objects. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
According to a local media report, this incident took place in Ratnara’s village in Madhya Pradesh on 29 March 2023. Shailaj Borkar, a snake catcher, was called upon by a villager to remove a snake from a drain. After capturing the snake, he released it near the fields. Later, he claimed that the snake had emitted a bright glowing light through an object. Although he was unsure of its nature, the villagers referred to it as the Nagamani. His interview can be viewed here.
We reached out to Mahendra Lilhare, the reporter from News Prabhat Media, to gather more details about the case. He shared with us the photos taken by Shailaj Borkar during the incident. These images display a bright spot near the snake. However, the picture of the snake with the Nagamani on its head is a morphed one, as the original image does not show any gem on the snake’s head. These photos can also be seen on the website of News Prabhat Media. Shailaj Borkar is unavailable at the moment.
While we could not independently verify the cause of the bright spot near the snake in the other pictures, it is evident that the image of the snake with a gem on its head is manipulated. Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the existence of snakes emitting or carrying shining objects.
To sum it up, a morphed image is being circulated, falsely portraying a snake with a Nagamani on its head.


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Viral image shows the Iftar event held at Eden Hindu Hostel; not at Presidency University Campus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 12, 2023
An image of students gathered and partaking in a meal has been circulating on social media, claiming to depict a recent Dawat-e-Iftar event at Kolkata’s Presidency University. The post alleges that while the University permitted this event, it did not allow Saraswati Puja to be celebrated on campus. Let’s examine the veracity of this claim.
Claim: Kolkata’s Presidency University allowed a Dawat-e-Iftar event to be held on campus, while earlier denying permission for a Saraswati Puja celebration.
Fact: The viral image depicts an Iftar event organized by the hostel boarders at Eden Hindu Hostel on 05 April 2023. This event was not conducted at the Presidency University campus, nor was it organized by the University administration. Additionally, earlier this year, Saraswati Puja was also held at the same Hindu Hostel. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Upon conducting an internet search with relevant keywords, we found a news report by The Times of India dated 06 April 2023, concerning this event. The report states that the Iftar gathering took place at the Eden Hindu Hostel on 05 April 2023, and was attended by students from various universities. Funds for the event were collected from hostel boarders and their friends, indicating that it was not associated with the University administration. The organizers emphasized that such events foster communal harmony and promote unity among students, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Upon analysing the information from Google Maps, it is evident that Eden Hindu Hostel and the Presidency University campus are two distinct entities, located over 500 meters apart. They do not share the same campus grounds, and their premises are divided by various structures, such as the Baker Building and Hare School.
Numerous attendees of the event shared photos and videos that correspond with the visuals seen in the viral image, providing evidence that the Iftar gathering indeed took place at Eden Hindu Hostel.
Furthermore, on 26 January 2023, Saraswati Puja was organized at the hostel premises. Visuals regarding the event can be seen here and here.
According to media reports, earlier in January 2023, the student body associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress requested permission from the Dean of Presidency University to conduct Saraswati Puja on campus. The University, however, denied permission in order to maintain its secular stance. As a result, the students proceeded to organize the Puja outside the main gate of the University.
In conclusion, the viral image depicts an Iftar event held at Eden Hindu Hostel, not at Presidency University Campus. Furthermore, the same venue was used to conduct a Saraswati Puja earlier this year.


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Viral Image shows the traditional wedding ceremony of Indian bowler Prasidh Krishna, not Nirmala Sitharaman’s daughter - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2023
An image that shows a bridegroom tying the knot to a bride while she is seated on a person’s lap is being widely shared, claiming to be a photograph from the wedding of Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s daughter. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image from the wedding of Nirmala Sitharaman’s daughter, where the bride is seen sitting on a man’s lap while the bridegroom is tying her knot.
Fact: The viral image does not show the wedding ceremony of Nirmala Sitharaman’s daughter. The couple in the image are Indian fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and his wife Rachana. Moreover, person on whose lap Rachana is seated is not a priest, but her father. This image captures a moment from the traditional Tamil Brahmin wedding ritual known as Kanyadaan, where the bride is symbolically seated on her father’s lap while the bridegroom proceeds to tie the knot. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to media reports (here, here, and here), Nirmala Sitharaman’s daughter, Parakala Vangamayi, got married to PMO official Pratik Doshi in Bengaluru on 08 June 2023. However, after a closer look, it is evident that the couple seen in the viral image are not Vangamayi and Pratik.
Upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral image, it was discovered that the bridegroom featured in the image is Prasidh Krishna, a fast bowler of the Indian Cricket team. He shared this photograph on his Instagram account on 08 June 2023. According to reports, Prasidh Krishna tied the knot with Rachana in a traditional South Indian wedding ceremony.
A post shared by Prasidh Krishna (@skiddyy)
Moreover, it is important to note that the individual upon whose lap Rachana is seated in the viral image is not a priest, but her father. It is pertinent to note that in Traditional Tamil Brahmin weddings, a significant ritual called Kanyadaan takes place, during which the bride is ceremoniously seated on her father’s lap while the bridegroom proceeds to tie the knot. This ritual bears cultural and symbolic significance as it signifies the act of the bride’s father entrusting his beloved daughter to the groom and seeking his solemn commitment to be her lifelong companion. More visuals of such weddings can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, the viral image does not show the wedding of Nirmala Sitharaman’s daughter. The couple in the image are Indian fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and his wife Rachana.


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Viral Image Wrongly Linked to Jammu National Highway 44, Actually Depicts a Chinese Expressway - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 28, 2023
An image depicting an elevated road constructed over streams amidst the majestic mountains is circulating widely, with the claim that it represents Jammu National Highway 44 in India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Jammu National Highway 44 in India.
Fact: The image shows a stretch of the Weiyuan-Wudu Expressway, which is part of the G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway, situated in the Gansu province of Northwest China. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral image, we discovered an article on the China-based news website Caixin Global featuring the same image. The article mentions the photograph as a section of the Weiyuan-Wudu Expressway, which is part of the G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway, situated in the Gansu province of Northwest China.
According to an official press release by the Chinese Government, the Longnan section of this expressway was opened for trial operations in 2020.
Taking a cue from this, we conducted a search on Google Earth and determined that the photograph captures a section of the Weiyuan-Wudu expressway, specifically passing through the remote village of Lianghekou in the Gansu province.
To sum it up, an unrelated image of a Chinese expressway is being shared as that of Jammu National Highway 44 in India.


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Viral letter does not mention all Kukis in Manipur as refugees from Myanmar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 25, 2023
An image of a letter dated 1968 is currently being widely shared on social media platforms, claiming to show that the Kuki tribes living in Manipur came from the neighbouring country Burma (Myanmar) as refugees and were later granted ST (Scheduled Tribe) quota in India in 1968, allowing them to enjoy various advantages and perks. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Kuki tribes living in Manipur came from the Burma (Myanmar) as refugees and were later granted ST (Scheduled Tribe) quota in India in 1968.
Fact: The letter does not mention the entire Kukis in Manipur as refugees. Previous letters related to the viral letter indicate that the District Commissioner of Manipur was implementing the humanitarian aid provided by the Indian Government to the Kukis of Myanmar, who were forced to flee to Manipur in 1967 during the Khadawmi operation in Myanmar. Moreover, the Kuki tribes were granted the ST status in India as early as 1950 and and they have existed in the Manipur kingdom for many centuries. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The Kuki people are an ethnic group inhabiting India’s northeastern states, including Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, and Nagaland. The Kukis are one of several hill tribes found in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Although the term “Kuki” was not coined by the ethnic group itself, the tribes associated with it came to be generically called Kuki under colonial rule. The book titled ‘Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India,‘ published in 1907, initially mentions (P.235) Kukis as inhabitants of the Lushai hills (in Mizoram) as early as 1777. Furthermore, there are references to the Kuki people being present during various kingdoms (now extinct or annexed in India) since the 1820s.
Moreover, the Kuki tribes were granted the ST (Scheduled Tribe) status (in Assam) as early as 1950 in “The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950,” well before the formation of the Manipur state in 1972.
Furthermore, according to media reports, the previous letters related to the viral letter indicate that the District Commissioner of Manipur was implementing the humanitarian aid provided by the Indian Government to the Kukis of Myanmar, who were forced to flee to Manipur in 1967 during the Khadawmi operation in Myanmar (as mentioned earlier, Kukis are spread over India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar). However, it is essential to note that the letters do not mention the entire Kukis in Manipur as refugees.
To sum it up, the viral letter only refers to the refugees from Myanmar who belong to the Kuki Community and does not categorize the entire Kuki community in the state as refugees.


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Viral message about Home Ministry making sharing posts about coronavirus a punishable offence is fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 1, 2020
A message purportedly issued by Principal Secretary – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is making rounds on social media claiming that the Ministry has made sharing of coronavirus related information on social media groups a punishable offence. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order that sharing post about coronavirus on social media groups a punishable offence.
Fact: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has not declared that posting anything related to coronavirus on social media is a punishable offence. Also, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that the Ministry of Home Affairs hasn’t issued any such order. So, the claim is FALSE.
When searched if the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued any such order, information from no credible sources was found confirming it. In the Facebook post, the message is said to be issued by Ravi Nayak, Principal Secretary – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). But, in the office directory of the Ministry, there is no person with the name ‘Ravi Nayak’ and there is no designation called Principal Secretary.
Also, as the message went viral, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has debunked the claim and clarified that the Ministry of Home Affairs hasn’t issued any such order. In its post, PIB has also said that for netizens to stay protected, they must share information about Coronavirus only from official and accurate sources.
To summarize, the message claiming that Home Ministry has made sharing of any Coronavirus related information on social media groups a punishable offense is fake
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Viral message attributed to senior lawyer Harish Salve is fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 21, 2022
A social media post sharing an alert message in the name of senior Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve is being widely circulated. The message alerts people of civil war following the passage of a few important bills like the Population control bill, CAA, etc. which the message anticipates will pass once BJP attains a majority in the Rajya Sabha. Further, the message claims that in 73 years of independence, the population of Muslims in India has increased from 30 million to 300 million. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Alert message issued by senior lawyer Harish Salve in anticipation of a civil war in the country.
Fact: There are no credible reports about senior lawyer Harish Salve commenting anything in line with population control bill or the other claims made in the post. In the recent Parliament session, union health minister expressed governments reluctance of using force to control the population, and thus a private member bill introduced in this regard was withdrawn. There are no reports of government bringing any legislation to control population in near future. Hence the claims made in the post are FALSE.
In the past, Harish Salve shared his opinions on Citizenship Amendment Act, speaking to the media he said ‘I fail to understand how a law which is designed to confer the benefit on an identified class of persons, and which identification is based on a rational criterion, can be condemned as being discriminatory on the ground that the legislation could have created a wider class’.
However, we could not find any reports of him speaking on the population control bill. Further, there are no reports stating  Harish Salve made statements in line with the viral message. If indeed Harish Salve has issued any such oral or written message, the media would have reported it, however, we could not find any such reports.
Further, let us look at the claims made in the post individually.
BJP attaining majority in Rajya Sabha:
Earlier this month after winning four of the thirteen seats in the recently concluded elections, BJP has become the first party to cross the double-digit tally in the Rajya Sabha, after the period 1988-90.
Though BJP has become the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha, as per the news reports (here & here) it is unlikely that it gains a majority in the upper house by 2024.
Population Control Bill:
In 2019, Rakesh Sinha, BJP MP introduced a private bill named the Population Regulation bill, seeking to enforce a two-child rule with penal provisions for violations.  However, during the recent parliament session, he withdrew the bill following the Union Health Minister’s intervention.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that instead of using force, the government had successfully used awareness and health campaigns to achieve population control.
Further, there are no reports stating that the Government is planning to introduce any legislation for population control in near future.
Muslim Population of the country:
The post claims that in 73 years of independence, the population of Muslims in India has increased from 30 million to 300 million. However, going by the census of India 2011, the total Muslim population of the county stands at 17.22 crores, which is 14.2% of India’s population and the next census enumeration is currently underway. Thus the official count of the total population of Muslims in India stands at 17.22 crores.
A report released in 2015 by US-based Pew Research Center, predicted the total population of Muslims in India by 2050 stands at 311 million and the Hindu population at 1.3 billion. As per the report, there are 213 million Muslims in 2020.
Thus from the above explanation, it is evident that the claims made in the post are mere speculations and not backed by any official information or research.
To sum it up, this viral message attributed to senior lawyer Harish Salve is fake.


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Viral message stating India should deal with terrorists in the Israeli method is wrongly attributed to Ajit Doval - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2022
A social media post accompanying a screenshot of a Facebook post in the name of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is being shared widely. The post suggests that India should also follow the method of bombing the terrorists like in Israel and Russia, in dealing with terrorism. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ajit Doval’s Facebook post describing an Israeli solution to deal with terrorists.
Fact: NSA Ajit Doval is not active on any social media platforms. The viral message was shared by a random Facebook account being run in Doval’s name and is doing rounds on social media at least since 2016. However there are no reports of Doval expressing views in line with the viral message. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Firstly, this message is not shared by the NSA Ajit Doval. In fact he is not active on any social media platforms. Most likely, this message could have been shared by a random Facebook account being run in Doval’s name.
Also, similar message has been doing rounds on social media in the name of Ajit Doval for many years. The oldest social media post that shared a similar message could be traced back to 2016.
However, we could not find any reports of Ajit Doval expressing similar views with respect to handling terrorism in India in line with the viral message
To sum it up, viral message stating India should deal with terrorists in the Israeli method is wrongly attributed to Ajit Doval.


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Viral Photo Doesn't Show Subramanian Swamy with His Daughter and Granddaughter - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 11, 2023
A photo of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy with burqa-clad women has been circulating on social media, with claims that the women in this photo are his daughter and granddaughter and that he is bidding them farewell for Haj at Hyderabad airport. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy with his daughter and granddaughter.
Fact: The women pictured with Subramanian Swamy are not his daughter and granddaughter. During his 2018 visit to Bengaluru, some Muslim women approached him and asked for a photograph together. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A search using relevant keywords directed us to a tweet by Jagdish Shetty, the General Secretary of Virat Hindustan Sangam, an organization in which Subramanian Swamy serves as the President. On 04 May 2018, Shetty posted the same photo and explained that the picture was taken at Bengaluru airport when Muslim women, appreciative of Swamy’s work, met him and requested a photograph with him. The same information was also shared by the official Twitter account of BJP Haveri.
See this in Bengaluru Airport ! Muslim women appreciative of Dr Subramanian @Swamy39 & even want to get photographed with him ! Speaks volumes of his role & how they want Triple Talaq to be banned ! Nation on the March ! pic.twitter.com/gUTegoUTx1
Subramanian Swamy has two daughters, Dr Gitanjali Swamy and Suhasini Haider. His younger daughter, Suhasini Haider, is a journalist who is married to Nadeem Haider, the son of former Indian diplomat Salman Haider. In 2019, Subramanian Swamy clarified that Suhasini Haider has not converted to Islam.
To sum it up, the viral image doesn’t show Subramanian Swamy with his daughter and granddaughter.


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Viral Photo of pothole-ridden road in front of the Department of Roads building is from Nepal, not Rajasthan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 13, 2024
A photo depicting a road riddled with potholes, right in front of a Department of Roads building, is widely circulated on social media (here, here) with claims suggesting it is from Rajasthan, India. Let’s verify this claim through this article.
Claim: The photo shows a potholed road in front of a Department of Roads building, is from Rajasthan, India.
Fact: Contrary to the viral claim, the building shown in the photo is the Department of Roads building located in Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal. The photo went viral in Nepalese social media before, which provoked the Divisional office under the Department of Roads, Kathmandu, to issue a statement explaining the poor condition of the road within the department’s premises. They urged the public not to share such photos intending to portray the poor state of the country without understanding the reality. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify this viral claim, we carried out a reverse image search of the viral photo, which led us to several news articles (here, here and here) containing the same image.
Reportedly, this photo was taken in front of the Department of Roads building in Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal. It was shared by a social media user named Dipendra Chaulagai, and the post went viral.
सडक विभाग हजुर! दबाब यात्रा यता पो गर्ने की! नजिकै 😂🫢 pic.twitter.com/4hP4URpwK6
Following this, the Kathmandu Divisional office of the Department of Roads issued a statement declaring the reaction to the muddy road as ‘exaggerated’ and attributed the road’s state to recent rains. They added that while the office building was being renovated following an earthquake, road construction was not included in that contract and was, therefore, being handled separately.  They urged the public not to share such photos intending to portray the poor state of the country without understanding the reality.
Additionally, India Today contacted a local journalist who supplied a current photo of the roads in front of the same building.
To sum up, the viral photo depicting a pothole-filled road in front of a Department of Roads building is from Katmandu, Nepal, not Rajasthan, India as claimed.


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Viral report spreads inaccurate claims of Seema Haider's suicide - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 25, 2023
A viral post accompanying a news report about Seema Haider’s suicide is going viral on social media platforms. The viral report claims that she committed suicide by jumping into a river and that many political leaders including UP’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended her funeral.  Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Seema Haider committed suicide by jumping into a river.
Fact: No credible reports support the assertion of Seema Haider’s suicide. Recent news coverage of her makes no mention of such an incident. The channel that shared this video has a history of circulating factually unreliable reports about her. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral news report asserts that Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman who entered India without proper authorization to marry her Indian partner, took her own life by leaping into a river. However, there is no credible report of such an incident. If such an event had occurred, it would have been reported all major media houses owing to the coverage about her.
Furthermore, the viral report alleges that Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister had participated in her funeral. Once more, this assertion lacks credibility. The Facebook account that disseminated the viral news report had previously shared unsubstantiated information about Seema Haider. Recent media coverage of her can be viewed here and here. It’s worth noting that none of these reports make any reference to her suicide, thereby discrediting the accuracy of the viral news.
Additionally, the viral content bears a watermark that reads ‘Prajapati Bhai.’ Following this clue, a search on YouTube led us to discover a YouTube channel with the same name. This channel hosts several reports concerning Seema Haider, yet none of them are substantiated by factual evidence. For instance, a few days ago, the channel reported that Seema Haider had passed away, but according to their most recent report, she was hospitalized due to stomach pain. These inconsistencies strongly suggest that this channel is disseminating unreliable information about Seema Haider, just to get some views.
To sum it up, a viral report spreads inaccurate claims of Seema Haider’s suicide.

created: September 25, 2023


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Viral road rage video from Mexico is falsely linked to Delhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 10, 2024
A post accompanying a video of several cars colliding with each other (road rage) is widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that the video is from Delhi. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a road rage incident in Delhi.
Fact: The viral video portraying road rage is from Mexico, not Delhi, and dates back to December 2022. Various news agencies reported on this incident in Mexico, and the Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico also issued a statement about it. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Conducting a reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the viral video led us to several Facebook posts from December 2022 with Spanish captions (here, here & here). One of these posts specified that the incident occurred around 9 pm on Saturday, 03 December 2022, in front of the McDonald’s restaurant, on Crisa Bridge, Tecnológico Toluca (Spanish to English translation).
Taking a cue from this, we geolocated the incident’s exact location on Google Maps. After comparing screenshots from the viral video with the street view image, we can conclude that the incident occurred in Tecnológico Toluca, Mexico. Below is a comparison between the viral video and its corresponding location on Google Maps’ Street View.
Subsequently, we used Spanish keywords to search for news reports regarding the incident, which led us to several news reports regarding this incident (here, here & here). These news reports contained visuals consistent with the viral video and described how the incident happened at the intersection of Tecnológico Avenue and Paseo Tollocan, in the municipality of Metepec, Mexico.
According to news reports, the video went viral on social networks and the Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico (SSEM) spoke out on the matter. We also came across a statement from the verified X handle of the Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico. It provided information on how the individuals involved in the incident were detained for causing property damage and inflicting injuries.
Se atendió la llamada recibida en el número 9-1-1, y luego de que #PolicíasEstatales llegaran al lugar indicado, se detuvo a los posibles implicados por su probable relación en los delitos de daños a los bienes y lesiones. (2/2)
To sum it up, the viral video portraying road rage is from Mexico, not Delhi, and dates back to December 2022.

created: January 10, 2024


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Viral Telangana Government G.O about closure of shops and commercial establishments is FAKE - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 2, 2021
A post accompanying the image of a purported Government Order of the  Telangana government stating that all shops and commercial establishments will be closed from 6 pm to 8 am till 30 April 2021 in the state is being widely shared across social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Telangana government G.O. stating all shops and commercial shops will be closed from 6 pm to 8 am till 30 April 2021.
Fact: Telangana government has not issued any such G.O about closure of shops and commercial establishments. Various government representatives through social media posts have stated the same and reiterated that this is fake. The viral G.O. is digitally created by extracting the excerpts from the 1 and 4 page of a G.O. copy dated 22 March 2020, which issued guidelines regarding the lockdown for the first time in the state. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a Facebook post by Information & Public Relations Dept, Government of Telangana which has categorically stated that no such G.O has been issued by the Telangana government. Further, their post rated the news as fake.
Even the official twitter handle of Office of Chief Secretary, Telangana Govt through a tweet stated the same.
An unsigned document claiming to be a GO issued on 1st April providing for closure of shops and commercial establishments is circulating on social media. It is clarified that the document is FAKE and NO such GO was issued by the Telangana Government. pic.twitter.com/SbBJ2iONgD
Further search on the Telangana government’s COVID-19 website yielded the G.O. dated 22 March 2020 about the first lockdown in the state in the year 2020. On careful observation, we can find that the purported G.O. in the post is digitally created by extracting excerpts from the 1st and 4th pages of G.O dated 22 March 2020. Except for the date of issuance of the G.O, all other information (G.O. no, other G.O specifications, etc.) are exactly the same in both the purported G.O and the old G.O.
Also, as far as the general administration department is concerned, there are no G.O.s issued by the Telangana government between 31 March 2021 and 01 April 2021 about COVID-19 . The latest G.O. released by the government on the COVID-19 website is dated 27 March 2021 with G.O. no. 68.
All these establish the fact that the Telangana government has not issued any such G.O about the closure of shops and commercial establishments in the wake of COVID-19.
However, there has been a surge in the number of cases related to COVID-19 in the country and in Telangana as well. Both the central and state governments have advised people to be cautious. In fact, the Telangana government has announced some strict measures such as the mandatory wearing of masks in public places, closure of educational institutions, etc., and have also issued G.O’s regarding the same.
To sum it up, the purported G.O by Telangana government about closure of shops and commercial establishments is FAKE.


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Viral Video Captures Interfaith Prayers Held at Jaipur Congress Office in Memory of Indira Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2023
A video that captures several individuals engaged in Islamic prayers is being widely shared on social media claiming that this footage was taken during the inauguration of a new Congress party office in Jaipur, where only Islamic prayers were observed, with no Hindu rituals taking place. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of exclusive Islamic prayers conducted during the Congress party office inauguration in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Fact: This video was recorded at an event where interfaith prayers from all religions were conducted to commemorate the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi and the birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel. This event took place at the Congress party office in Jaipur on 31 October 2023. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon careful examination of the viral video, it was discovered that the footage was live-streamed from the account ‘Heena Khan’. Using this information, we searched her Facebook profile but were unable to locate the viral video. However, we did find images posted by the user on the death anniversary of former PM Indira Gandhi on 31 October 2023. Heena Khan can be seen in one of these images, and she appears to be the same woman featured in the viral video.
Upon further comparison, it was confirmed that the woman in the viral video is indeed Heena Khan, the General Secretary of the Jaipur District Congress Committee.
Taking a cue from this, we sought additional information about this event and discovered a Facebook post by Congress leader and former Minister Namo Narain Meena, dated 31 October 2023. In his post, he stated that an interfaith meeting was conducted at the party office in Jaipur on that day. This gathering was organized to pay homage to Indira Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on their death and birth anniversaries, respectively.
Moreover, Sangeeta Beniwal, Chairperson of Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights also posted a video where the people can be heard singing the song “Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram”.
Additionally, a video published by DD News on YouTube shows visuals of various religious communities offering prayers. Furthermore, Heena Khan and Sangeeta Beniwal have confirmed that the clip being circulated is incomplete and that prayers from all religions were indeed performed during the event.
To sum it up, an unrelated clipped video was shared as visuals of Islamic prayers conducted during the Congress party office inauguration in Jaipur.

created: November 15, 2023


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Viral Video Claiming Rain of Worms in China Actually Shows Poplar Tree Catkins - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2023
A video claiming to show a rain of worms on cars in Liaoning Province of China has been circulating on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of worms raining in Chinese Province of Liaoning.
Fact: Chinese media outlets and authorities made no such reports of a worm rain phenomenon, and close inspection of the video showed the so-called worms were not visible on nearby roads. Chinese residents and journalists identified them as the catkins of the poplar tree, which are a common sight during spring. Catkins are groups of flowers that hang from trees and do not have petals. They can be found on many types of trees, and the wind helps carry pollen for reproduction. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we conducted a thorough search of Chinese media outlets to determine if there were any reports of a worm rain phenomenon. However, we could not find any such reports. Additionally, we did not come across any announcements from Chinese authorities asking people to take shelter due to raining worms, as claimed in the post. Additionally, upon closer inspection of the video, it becomes apparent that the so-called “worms” are not visible on the nearby roads, which would have been the case if they were raining down from the sky as claimed.
After the video went viral, several Chinese users and journalists took to Twitter to debunk the claim, stating that the alleged “worms” were the catkins of the poplar tree.
Fake News Of The Week
Thousands of newspapers,
TV channels and news sites all over the world shared that fake news:
China Pummeled By Rain Of Worms
NO it was not rain of worms ❌❌
In fact those things on the cars were leaves as U can see from the video below.@nypost #fakenews pic.twitter.com/iUTBC3ep5w
It is worth noting that poplar trees are widely grown across China, and catkins are a common sight during the spring season. Furthermore, we found similar images of catkins dropped on cars parked under trees in China, which can be seen here, here, and here.
According to Britannica, a catkin is a group of flowers that hang from a stem and do not have petals. They can be found on many types of trees like willows, birches, oaks etc. The wind helps carry pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers so that they can reproduce. Some plants have both male and female flowers on the same plant, while others have them on separate plants. More visuals of Catkins can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, the viral video claiming rain of worms in China actually shows poplar tree catkins.