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Old and unrelated war visuals are passed off as Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 25, 2022
Amidst the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict, multiple social media posts accompanying war visuals are being widely circulated across the social media platforms with a claim that they show the ongoing  Russian – Ukrainian 2022 conflict. Through this article, let’s fact-check the veracity of these videos.
UPDATE (25 March 2022):
Post 16:
Claim: Recent Video of Russian missiles demolishing the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense building in Ukraine.
Fact: This video shows an old incident of Israel Forces demolishing the al-Jalaa tower in Gaza, Palestine.  This incident took place during the Israel-Palestine conflict in May 2021. This video has nothing to do with the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, it is found out that the video shows an old incident of Israel Forces demolishing the al-Jalaa tower in Gaza, Palestine. Israel Forces destroyed this 14-storey building housing several international media channels including the ‘Al-Jazeera’ and the ‘Associated Press’ news channels. This incident took place in May 2021 during the Israel-Palestine conflict. Several news websites have published articles reporting this information in May 2021. They can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and not related to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
UPDATE (15 March 2022):
Post 15:
Claim: Visuals showing American soldiers in Ukraine.
Fact: These are old visuals and are available on internet at least since 2016. Since 2016, these visuals are being shared as ‘US Paratroopers Static Line Jump From C-17’.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals have nothing to do with the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict, as these visuals are available on the internet at least since 2016. The same visuals are shared on YouTube with the description ‘Paratroopers Static Line Jump From C-17’.  Although we could not independently verify the location and the context of these visuals, their presence on the internet confirms that they have nothing to do with the ongoing Russia -Ukraine conflict.
UPDATE (14 March 2022):
Post 13:
Claim: Ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict visuals.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the old explosion visuals from Lebanon’s Beirut and Russia’s Tomsk. This proves that these visuals are not related to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search, it is found out that a few visuals in the video show the visuals of a massive explosion that took place in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on 04 August 2020. Also, a few other visuals in the video shows an old incident of fire breaking out in the Lenta hypermarket in Tomsk, Russia. So, it can be confirmed that the video shared in the post does not show the visuals of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Post 12:
Claim: Ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict visuals.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows old visuals of different military exercises conducted by the US and Russian military forces. These visuals do not show the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, it is found out that most of the video clips shared in the post show old military exercises conducted by the US (here, here) and Russian (here, here, and here) military forces. The video clips shared in the post are old and have nothing to do with the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
UPDATE (01 March 2022):
Post 11
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals and are actually related to a fuel tanker explosion in Upper Iweka Onitsha, Nigeria, a month ago in January 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals actually show a fuel tanker explosion that happened in Upper Iweka Onitsha, Nigeria, a month ago in January 2022. Multiple news agencies have reported the incident back then (here & here).
Post 10:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals and are available at least since 2014. This proves that these visuals have nothing to do with the ongoing conflict. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals are not related to ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict, as these visuals are available on the internet at least since 2014 (here & here). Although we could not independently verify the location and the context of these visuals, their presence on the internet since 2014 confirms that they have nothing to do with the current situation.
@newsburko Это не ваш братуха? Каратели ВСУ из батальона "Айдар": pic.twitter.com/d99dOMqJDS
Post 9:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are unrelated to the current conflict and show clashes between IS and Kurdish forces in the city of Halaska, following the attempt by ISIS fighters to break the Ghwayran prison in January 2022. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals actually show clashes between IS and Kurdish forces in the city of Halaska, following the attempt by ISIS fighters to break the Ghwayran prison. The incident happened earlier this year in the month of January 2022. Multiple news agencies reported the incident, which can be viewed here and here.
Post 8:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals and are actually related to a joint operation carried by US and Afghan forces in the city of Kandahar, back in 2011. These visuals are available on the internet since 2012. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These are old visuals and have nothing to do with either Russia or Ukraine. These visuals actually show a joint operation carried out by US and Afghan forces in the city of Kandahar. These visuals are available on the internet at least since 2012, which can be viewed here, here, and here.
There are multiple news reports of the Russian military taking on Ukrainian cities. Visuals reported by the news agencies as related to the current conflict can be viewed here and here. However, the viral visuals shared through the posts have no relation to the current Russian attack on Ukraine.
UPDATE (28 FEBRUARY 2022):
Post 7:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals and are actually related to an explosion in a military depot in Ukraine, back in 2017. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals actually show an explosion at a military base in Ukraine, which happened back in 2017. Multiple news agencies have reported the incident back then. 2017 The Guardian report carried the same visuals attributing them to the military depot explosion.
Post 6:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals and are available on internet at least since July 2021, much before the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING
These visuals are available on the internet much before the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated. These visuals are shared attributing them to Serbia. However, we could not verify the location in these visuals. Their availability on the internet establishes the fact that they are not related to the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict.
Post 5:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals and are available on the internet at least since 2010. This proves that these visuals are not related to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These are old visuals and have nothing to do with the ongoing Russia – Ukraine crisis. A YouTube video uploaded in 2010 carried similar but mirrored visuals of the viral video. This YouTube video was uploaded with the title ‘Afghanistan Legion’. Although we could not independently verify the location shown in the video, the availability of the visuals on the internet proves that these visuals are not related to the current conflict.
Post 4:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are not real videos but are of a video game called ‘ARMA-3’. These visuals have nothing to do with the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING
These are not real visuals but are from a video game called ‘ARMA-3’. Multiple similar videos are available on YouTube. Usually, users live stream their game on YouTube, and the visuals are user-specific, i.e. the visuals are generated based on one’s game. Even earlier, many such game visuals attributing them to Afghanistan, Palestine, etc. went viral on social media. Factly debunked those back then, which be viewed here and here.
UPDATE (25 February 2022):
Post 3:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These are old visuals. They are available on internet at least since October 2021 and have nothing to do with the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals are available on internet at least since October 2021 (here & here). Though we could not independently verify the context and location of these visuals, the presence of these visuals on internet establishes the fact that these visuals have nothing to do with the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict.
Post 2:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: The video shows an incident of blast that took place in Tianjin, China back in 2015. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The video actually shows visuals of a blast that took place in an industrial area in the Chinese port city of Tianjin back in 2015. Multiple news agencies have reported the same visuals back then.
Post 1:
Claim: Ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.
Fact: These visuals actually show US troops attacking the Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, back in 2004. These visuals have nothing to do with Russia – Ukraine conflict. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
These visuals show US troops taking on the Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, back in 2004 (here & here). News article related to the attack can be viewed here. These visuals have nothing to do with Russia – Ukraine conflict.
To sum it up, old and unrelated war visuals are passed off as Russia – Ukraine conflict visuals.


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Old ‘BBC’ report on 2020 Delhi riots is linked to recent Tripura communal violence - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 3, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the ‘BBC’ News telecast of the recent communal violence in Tripura. This video shows police personnel hitting protestors. In the wake of recent communal violence in Tripura, this video is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The ‘BBC’ news telecast video reporting the communal violence in Tripura.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows an old ‘BBC’ news report related to the Delhi riots in 2020. This video shows Delhi police lathi-charge on anti-CAA protestors. This video has nothing to do with the recent Tripura communal violence. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the video carefully, from 2:26 minutes of the video, we could hear the ‘BBC’ journalist reporting that the incident had taken place in Delhi and Delhi police were not responding to the allegations of lathi-charge on protestors. Also, we could see ‘थाना खजुरी खास’ written on the police station building seen in the video. ‘Khajoori Khas’ is a neighbourhood in the North-Eastern part of Delhi.
On reverse image search of the screenshots using these keywords, a video with similar visuals was found in a tweet made by the ‘BBC’ news channel on 03 March 2020. ‘BBC’ reported it as an investigation report on Delhi police lathi-charge on anti-CAA protestors in Delhi. The ‘BBC’ reported it as the distressing visuals of Delhi police joining Hindu extremists and throwing stones at Muslim protestors in Delhi. ‘BBC’ published multiple videos with similar visuals, reporting it as the visuals from the Delhi riots in 2020. They can be seen here and here.
The BBC has found Delhi police acted along Hindu rioters during a wave of attack on Muslims last week. Police in the capital are coming under increasing pressure as allegations of complicity in the clashes emerge. An investigation by @yogital, @shaluyadavbbc & @NickWoolley1234 pic.twitter.com/i6oSmpkP1r
Sharing similar visuals of the incident, the ‘BBC’ published an article on 04 March 2020. The ‘BBC’ website had also reported the recent communal violence in Tripura. But, the video shared in the post is related to the 2020 Delhi riots, not from Tripura.
To sum it up, an old ‘BBC’ report on the 2020 Delhi riots is shared as visuals of ‘BBC’ reporting the communal violence in Tripura.

source: news-factly

created: November 3, 2021

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Old clips from 2017 passed off as visuals of an earthquake that occurred in Mexico on 1 Sep 2023 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 4, 2023
A video clip of people rushing out of a shaky ‘NH collection-Mexico City airport T2’ building along with a few other video clips is being shared on social media claiming them as the visuals of ‘Mexico earthquakes 1st Sep 2023.’ Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: This video compilation shows the Mexico earthquake that occurred on 1 September 2023.
Fact: An earthquake of a magnitude of 7.1 hit Mexico in September 2017, which killed almost 220 people. The viral video compilation actually shows the visuals of the 2017 Mexico earthquake. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more about the viral video, we broke down the video into several keyframes and performed a reverse image search on them. This search revealed that all these visuals are from 2017 and were recorded when an earthquake of 7.1 magnitude hit Mexico (here and here).
You can find these visuals in the compilation clips posted (here and here) on a YouTube channel named ‘Earthquakes.’ This compilation was uploaded by this channel in April 2023, way before the alleged 1 September 2023 earthquake.
For example–
The opening clip of the viral compilation shows people rushing out of a shaky and wobbly ‘NH collection-Mexico City Airport T2’ hotel building.
This was filmed during the 2017 earthquake in Mexico which you can find here and here. Similarly, the second clip can be found here. You can find some of the other clips from this compilation here, here, and here.
Additionally, a quick Google search revealed that no severe earthquake was recorded on 01 September 2023 in Mexico.
To sum up, old clips from 2017 passed off as visuals of an earthquake that occurred in Mexico on 1 Sep 2023.

created: September 4, 2023


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Old concert video of Afghanistan musician shared as Australian singer singing KL Saigal’s song - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 16, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it shows visuals of an Australian singer singing ‘Aye katibe taqdeer’ song that was originally sung by late Indian singer KL Saigal. The post claims that the Australian musician had brought back the life of KL Saigal through his beautiful voice. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of an Australian singer singing ‘Aye katibe taqdeer’ song.
Fact: The video shows the visuals from an old concert by Dr Nashenas, the famous singer and musician of Afghanistan, at Monash University in Australia. The video does not show an Australian singer singing KL Saigal’s ‘Aye katibe taqdeer’ song. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
The opening titles of the video show the text, “Dr Nashenas Monash University Australia”. On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video and by searching with relevant keywords on the internet, a video with similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel, with the description, “Dr Nashenas Best Performance in Australia (Must Watch) – Aye katibe taqdeer”.
Dr. Nashenas is a famous singer and musician from Afghanistan. The biography of Dr. Nashenas can be seen here. Another video from the same concert was published on the official YouTube channel of Nashenas.
The Indian Embassy in Afghanistan shared the same video on its official Facebook handle in 2013. The YouTube video shared by the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan was published in 2010 with the description, “Aye katibe taqdeer mujhe itna batade’ by Nashenas in Monash University”.
To sum it up, an old concert video of Afghanistan singer Dr. Nashenas was shared as visuals of an Australian singer singing KL Saigal’s ‘Aye katibe taqdeer’ song.


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Old debunked message about financial help to poor students by NGO Prerana and supported by Infosys foundation revived again - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 25, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that an NGO named Prerana is supported by Infosys foundation and wants poor students to contact them. The post even claims that students from poor financial backgrounds who scored more than 80% in their 10 standard this year will be asked to give a test to make them eligible for financial help. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Financial help to poor students is being offered by NGO Prerana (supported by Infosys Foundation).
Fact: Infosys Foundation denies any association with the NGO Prerana mentioned in the post. According to the website of NGO Prerana, they do provide financial-aid to meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds, but the post is not part of any of their schemes this year. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
There are three phone numbers provided in the post. Factly dialed all the numbers but none of them were operational.
There is a link provided in the post, on clicking the link, the official website of Infosys Foundation pops up. There is no mention of NGO Prerana conducting a test for students from the poor financial backgrounds who scored more than 80% in their 10th standard this year. There is a “Fraud Alert” message regarding fake messages (in relation to NGOs) on the website’s home page, which states that, ‘Infosys Foundation does not use social media to get beneficiaries’
We searched online using relevant keywords and found that the same message was found in a Times of India article, but this story was from 16 May 2011; more than 10 years old. This post was in circulation since 2011 across social media.
Boom had written a fact-check article about the same viral post, on 30 May 2017. They contacted an Infosys spokesperson who replied, “The message is completely wrong, and Infosys is in no way associated with the Prerana foundation.” Boom also contacted NGO Prerana’s CEO/Secretary Ram Sastry who said, “We are not exactly linked to Infosys Foundation, but they are one of our donors and donate once in a while. The message is for the foundation itself and came in around 7 years ago (2010-11) when the phone numbers in the message were authentic. All the three people used to work with us earlier. But the numbers are not applicable anymore.”
According to the website of NGO Prerana, they do provide Financial-Aid to meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds, but the post is not part of any of their schemes this year.
To sum it up, this post about financial help by NGO Prerana to poor students this year is not true.


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Old debunked photo of the IUML party flag revived again as the Pakistan National flag waived during a Congress rally - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the picture of a Congress rally in which the Pakistan Flag waived with ‘Hindustan Murdabad’ chants. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of the Pakistan Flag being waived during a Congress party rally.
Fact: The green flag in the photo shows the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) party flag, not the Pakistan National flag. IUML is an Indian Political Party based in Kerala. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On observing the photo carefully, it is found out that the flag waved in the rally is not the Pakistan National flag. The photo of the Pakistan National flag can be seen here. When we searched for the Indian political party flags similar to the flag waved in this rally, we found it as the party flag of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). IUML is a Kerala-based Indian political party recognized by the Election Commission of India. Further details about the IUML party can be seen here. The party also has an official handle on Facebook.
In a complaint filed to the Election Commission on ‘05 April 2019’, IUML informed that their party flag is being falsely portrayed as the Pakistan National Flag, to incite hatred against their party.
The photos and the videos related to this rally had gone viral during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections. They can be seen here and here. According to ‘The Hindu’ article, the Kerala-based IUML party supported the Congress Party during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. Though we could not ascertain the exact details of this rally, it can be concluded that the flag waved during this rally is not the Pakistan National flag.
Earlier, when a video with similar visuals was shared with a similar claim, FACTLY published a fact-check article on it. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, an old debunked photo of the IUML party flag revived again as the Pakistan National flag waved during a Congress rally.

created: February 22, 2021


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Old debunked video is being passed off as police catching hold of fake Sikh in farmers protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 30, 2020
A post with a video in which the police are seen forcibly removing turban of a Sikh man is being widely shared on social media with a claim that police caught hold of a fake Sikh in the farmers protest in Delhi. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Police caught hold of a fake Sikh in farmers protest.
Fact: The video actually shows an incident which took place back in 2011, when Zilla Parishad Veterinary pharmacists were demanding regularization of their jobs. During the protest, a couple of policemen forcibly removed the turban of one of the Sikh protesters. There are news articles that reported this incident.  This incident has nothing to do with the ongoing farmer protests in Delhi. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a 2011 YouTube video which carried visuals similar to the one in the post. The caption of the video reads “Insult of Turban (Sikh’s Identity) @ Mohali Stadium by a Punjab Police Officer”.
Taking a cue from the YouTube video, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a few news articles which reported the incident. According to one such article, during a protest by Zilla Parishad Veterinary pharmacists demanding regularization of their jobs, two policemen happened to forcibly remove the turban of a protester. According to another news article, the two policemen who were involved in the act were suspended. With all these reports, we can conclude that the man seen in the video is indeed a Sikh and the video has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers protest in Delhi.
When the same video went viral linking it to CAA protests, FACTLY has debunked the claim. The fact-check story can be read here.
In the wake of the ongoing farmers protest against the new farm laws, posts like these are being shared across social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, the man seen in the video is indeed a Sikh and the incident has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers protest in Delhi.

created: November 30, 2020


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Old debunked video of a maid mixing urine in the food is shared again with a communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 2, 2021
A post with a clip of a video telecast in ‘News 24’ channel is being shared on social media claiming that a Muslim maid named ‘Haseena’ was caught on CCTV while mixing her urine in the food prepared for her Hindu employer. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a Muslim maid, Haseena mixing urine in the food prepared for her Hindu employer.
Fact: The woman who was seen mixing her urine in the food is not a Muslim named Haseena but a person named ‘Asha Kaushal’. This incident reportedly took place at Bhopal in 2011. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on Google using the keywords ‘Bhopal maid urine’, an article published by ‘The Times of India’ was found in the search results. From the article, it is understood that the incident took place at Bhopal in 2011 and the maid’s name is ‘Asha Kaushal’. Mukesh Suri, her employer, has mentioned in the article that he had installed CCTV cameras in his house as some household articles were missing. In the process of checking CCTV footage, Mukesh Suri caught his maid Asha Kaushal mixing urine in the food prepared for them.
Also, while speaking to ‘India Today’, Praveen Dube, a ‘News 24’ journalist clarified that the maid is not a Muslim. The same information about this incident  found in the articles published in ‘Aaj Tak’ and ‘Dainik Jagran’ news websites.
Earlier, when the same video shared with a similar claim, FACTLY published a fact-check article on it. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, the maid who is seen in the video mixing urine in the food of her employer is not a Muslim woman named Hasina. Her name is Asha Kaushal and she is not a Muslim.


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Old debunked video revived again after a year of the Pulwama attack - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2020
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the attack on the CRPF jawans at Pulwama on 14 February 2019. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of the attack on CRPF personnel at Pulwama on 14 February 2019.
Fact: The same video was found to exist on the internet at least since 2008. Also, the uncropped video has the timestamp of ‘2007’. But, the Pulwama attack happened in 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir over the past 30 years, 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed in a terrorist attack  in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir on 14 February 2019. Many misattributed videos were shared then claiming to be those related to the attack. Nearly after a year of this attack, these videos have again resurfaced on social media.
When the screenshots of the current video were run through the Google Reverse Image Search, a video with the same visuals was found in the search results. The video was uploaded on YouTube with the title – ‘VBIED IED SEP 02 2007 camp taji iraq huge explosion’, on 8 December 2008. Further, the video posted on Facebook is cropped. In the video, posted on YouTube, the timestamp of ‘2007’ can be seen. So, it can be concluded that the video is not related to the Pulwama attack, which happened in 2019.
The same video also went viral with the same claim when the Pulwama attack happened in 2019. FACTLY has already fact-checked the video in Telugu when it went viral previously.
To sum it up, an old unrelated video falsely shared as ‘Pulwama attack video’.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?

created: February 14, 2020


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Old debunked video revived again as visuals of 2019 Pulwama terror attack - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 16, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of 2019 terror attack at Pulwama. On 14 February 2019, 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide bomber attack in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of the attack on CRPF personnel at Pulwama on 14 February 2019.
Fact: The same video was found to exist on the internet at least since 2008. The uncropped original video has the time stamp of 2007 on it. But, the Pulwama attack on CRPF Jawans took place in February 2019. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the current video were run through the Google reverse image search, a video with the same visuals was found in the search results. This video was uploaded on YouTube with the title – ‘VBIED IED SEP 02 2007 camp taji iraq huge explosion’, on 8 December 2008. We found another YouTube video, mentioning it as the truck bomb attack in Iraq. Further, the video posted on Facebook is cropped. In the video published on YouTube, the timestamp of ‘2007’ can be seen. Though we could not ascertain the exact details of where this attack took place, it can be concluded that this video is not related to the Pulwama attack of 2019.
Following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, many misattributed videos were shared on social media claiming them as the visuals related to this attack. In 2020, when the same video went viral with a similar claim, FACTLY published a fact-check article on it. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, an old debunked video is revived again as the visuals of 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

created: February 16, 2021


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Old edited video is shared as Shivraj Singh Chouhan encouraging sale of liquor in Madhya Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2020
A video clip of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan encouraging the sale of liquor and raising doubts about the working of the Excise department in the state is doing the rounds on social media. In the post, Chouhan is criticized for promoting alcohol when the state is fighting against COVID-19. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan encouraging the sale of liquor in the state.
Fact: The video is an edited one. The original video was taken in January 2020 when Congress leader Kamalnath was the CM of Madhya Pradesh. In that original video, Chouhan criticizes the liquor policy of then Kamalnath’s government in the state. Hence the claim made is FALSE.
When searched on Google with keywords, a tweet of ‘ANI’ about Bhopal Crime Branch registering an FIR against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for sharing a fake video about CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was found.
Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal Crime Branch registers FIR against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, under multiple sections of IPC, in connection with an alleged fake video regarding CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared by him on social media. BJP had filed a complaint against him. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/MT3QNoaUyE
When searched the official Twitter accounts of Shivraj Singh Chouhan if he has given any response about that video clip, a longer version of that nine-seconds clip was found. In this tweet, Chouhan criticized the Congress Party for sharing the edited clip and said strict action would be taken against those spreading the video. Chouhan even included the ‘12 January 2020’ tweet that has the original video. In the video, Chouhan can be heard saying – ‘Development activities have come to a standstill, farmers and the poor people are crying but this government is busy opening liquor shops. It’s a very unfortunate situation and we have just begun the fight and will continue it…’
कांग्रेस के डर्टी ट्रिक्स डिपार्टमेंट द्वारा जारी किए गए फेक वीडियो जो भी ट्वीट और व्हाट्सएप्प पर शेयर कर रहा है, उसके खिलाफ कड़ी कानूनी कार्रवाई की जायेगी।
यह ओरिजिनल वीडियो है। मध्य प्रदेश में ओछी राजनीति की कोई जगह नहीं! https://t.co/6RIFzi5fGQ pic.twitter.com/76YImjHhxY
To sum it up, an old and edited video is being falsely shared as Shivraj Singh Chouhan encouraging the sale of liquor in Madhya Pradesh.
Did you watch our new video?


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Old ‘Emergency Exercise’ video at an airport in Senegal is falsely shared in the context of COVID-19 outbreak - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 19, 2020
A video of few passengers being rescued near a runway is being shared on social media with the claim that it shows passengers infected with Coronavirus on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Italy that reached Addis Ababa airport in the evening. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim about the video.
Video of passengers infected with Coronavirus on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Italy that reached Addis Ababa airport.
Fact: The video is of an ‘Emergency Exercise’ at Blaise Diagne International Airport (Senegal) in November 2019. So, the video is of a drill that was conducted a month earlier before the first Coronavirus case was detected in China. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
In the video, the aeroplane has the text ‘Senegal’ on it suggesting the aeroplane to be related to Senegal.
When searched on YouTube with keywords ‘Senegal airplane rescue’, a video with similar visuals and the same logo was found in the search results. When one goes through the video of ‘Dakaractu Tv’, it was found to be of an ‘Emergency Exercise’ at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Senegal. The drill took place on 28 November 2019. As per the report of ‘Dakaractu Tv’, the training at Blaise Diagne International Airport was conducted to evaluate the capacity of officials to respond to various crises that may arise during operations at the airport. In the video, the organizer of the exercise, Xavier Mary, the Director-General of LAS (Limak-Aibd-Summa), has thanked Air Senegal for the provision of an aircraft for the ‘Emergency Exercise’. So, the video is of a drill that was conducted a month earlier before the first Coronavirus case was detected in China in December 2019. More information about the incident can be read here.
To summarize, an old video of ‘Emergency Exercise’ at an airport in Senegal is being falsely shared as ‘passengers infected with Coronavirus on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Italy’.
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Old exorcism video from Chhattisgarh falsely shared as visuals of DPS-Rajbagh teacher assaulting a young girl - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 30, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a Delhi Public School (DPS) teacher brutally assaulting a young girl. This video shows a man violently beating a young girl and kicking her stomach. The post claims that the incident had recently taken place at DPS Rajbag in Valsad, Gujarat. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of DPS-Rajbagh’s teacher brutally assaulting a young girl.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows an old incident that took place in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. This video shows a pastor performing an exorcism on a young girl. This video has nothing to do with the Delhi Public School in Rajbagh. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the post, the description of the video itself is confusing. It says “Valsad’s DPS School” but continues to say “DPS School Rajbagh Teacher”. Rajbagh is in Jammu and Kashmir whereas Valsad is in Gujarat. Also, the same video was attributed to the RM VM School on social media in 2018.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals is found published on the ‘HJ News’ YouTube channel on 20 February 2018. This video reported it as visuals of a pastor performing an exorcism on a minor girl in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. A few other social media users have shared photos and videos related to this incident with a similar description. They can be seen here and here.
Reporting the complete details of this incident, the ‘Dainik Divya Marathi’ and the ‘Hari Bhoomi’ news websites have published articles in 2018. They can be read here and here. These articles reported that Dinesh Sahu, a pastor in Santoshi Nagar village had brutally assaulted a minor girl in the name of exorcism. According to the article, the minor victim in the video was a classmate of Dinesh Sahu’s daughter. The young girl’s family had brought her to Dinesh Sahu, believing she was possessed by a demon. In the name of exorcism, Dinesh Sahu performed this offensive act of brutally thrashing her, dragging her hair violently, and pressing her private parts with his feet. Nagari Police arrested the accused immediately after this video went viral on social media in 2018.
Earlier, when a Bagalkot school incident was falsely shared as visuals from DPS-Rajbagh, FACTLY published a fact-check article. It can be read here.
To sum it up, an old exorcism video from Chhattisgarh falsely shared as visuals of a DPS-Raibagh teacher assaulting a young girl.


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Old false claim of ‘Japanese not buying anything from the U.S. since 1945 attack’ revived again - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2020
A post is being widely shared on social media with a claim that Japanese citizens do not buy anything that’s made in the U.S. as they were bombed by the U.S. in 1945. It is also being claimed that, even after 75 years, the U.S. cannot even sell a needle in Japan. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
The U.S. is not allowed to sell any item in Japan as the attacked the country in 1945 by throwing a nuclear bomb.
Fact: Japan was the fourth largest export market for the U.S. in 2019. On the ‘Office of the United States Trade Representative’ website, it can be read that the U.S. goods exports to Japan in 2019 were US$ 74.7 billion. Hence the claim made is FALSE.
When searched for ‘US-Japan Trade’ on Google, a link to the ‘Office of U.S. Trade Representative’ website was found in the search results. According to information provided on the website, the quantum of trade between the countries was around US$ 303 billion in 2019. Imports from the U.S. were around US$ 123.4 billion worth of goods and services (Goods – US$ 74.7 billion and Services – US$ 48.7 billion) in the case of Japan in 2019. Some of the goods imported by Japan from the U.S. in 2019 were mineral fuels, aircraft, optical and medical instruments, machinery, and electrical machinery. Also, a similar claim was dunked by FACTLY in March 2019.
Similar US-Japan trade statistics were also found on the ‘Ministry of Finance – Japan’ website.
Also, it is found that ‘Amazon’ (an American multinational technology company) is one of the most popular e-commerce websites in Japan. Many US companies’ products can be found listed on the website.
To sum it up, Japan imports around US$ 74.7 billion worth of goods from the U.S. The Japanese citizens do buy goods from the U.S.
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Old fictional character ‘MLA Anil Upadhyay’ revived again as ‘Congress MLA Anil Upadhyay’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2020
A video of a person blaming Congress leaders for anti-CAA protests and associated violence is being shared on social media with a claim that the person in the video is Congress MLA Anil Upadhyay. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of Congress MLA Anil Upadhyay blaming Congress leaders for anti-CAA protests and associated violence.
Fact: There is no Congress MLA with the name Anil Upadhyay. Previously, many such random videos were shared with the same name but as – ‘BJP MLA Anil Upadhyay’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched with the keywords, the extended version of the same video was found on YouTube. The video was uploaded by ‘The Newspaper’ channel on 4 March 2020. It was not mentioned anywhere that the man speaking in the video is a Congress MLA.
When searched on the ‘My Neta’ website about ‘Anil Upadhyay’, it was found that there is no Congress MLA with the name ‘Anil Upadhyay’. There were two persons with that name in the search results but neither of them belongs to INC (Indian National Congress).
Earlier, when several other videos claiming to be related to ‘BJP MLA Anil Upadhyay’ were shared on social media, FACTLY has debunked them. The fact-check articles can be read here and here.
To sum it up, there is no Congress MLA in the country with the name – ‘Anil Upadhyay’.
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Old Mobile tower fire accident in Dehradun falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protests. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 31, 2020
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a Jio tower getting vandalised by the protesting groups of farmers. In the wake of farmers’ leaders call to boycott all Reliance products including the highly used Jio, this video is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a Jio tower getting vandalised by a group of protesting farmers.
Fact: Video shared in the post is an old one. This video shows the 2017 fire accident on a mobile tower in Dehradun. A short circuit inside the tower is said to be the reason for this fire breakout. This incident has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protests over the new farm laws. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots shared in the post, similar visuals were found in a video report published by ‘News 18 Hindi’ on ‘29 June 2017’. In the description of the video, it is reported as the visuals of a fire accident that took place in Dehradun in June 2017. In the video, it is reported that fire suddenly broke out from the rooftop of a mobile tower in Ankit Puram, Dehradun. A short circuit inside the tower is said to be the reason for this fire accident. Fire brigade personnel with the help of locals controlled the fire from the tower.
Sharing the same visuals, ‘Amar Ujala’  published a report on ‘28 June 2017’. In the report, it is mentioned as the fire accident on a mobile tower in Dehradun because of the short circuit. From all these pieces of evidence, it is concluded that the video shared in the post is an old one and has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protests.
Amid the ongoing tussle between the farmers and the Indian Government over the new farm laws, several protesting groups vandalised the Jio towers in Punjab and other nearby areas in the country. Media reports about such attacks on Jio towers can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an old fire accident on a mobile tower in Dehradun is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protests.

created: December 31, 2020


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Old accident video clips falsely shared as visuals of a recent crude oil tanker explosion in Dubai - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 22, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a recent crude oil tanker blast in Dubai. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a crude oil tanker explosion in Dubai.
Fact: The video shared in the post is made from video clips related to three different old fire accidents. The first video clip shows a 2018 incident of a tanker explosion in Italy. The second video clip shows the fire breakout due to a crude oil pipeline leakage in Cairo, Egypt. The last video clip shows an old fire accident that took place in a market in Ajman, UAE. This video has nothing to do with Dubai. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video shared in the post is a combination of three different video clips. Let’s find the details of each video clip one by one.
Video Clip-1:
On observing the first video clip carefully, we could see the ‘USA TODAY’ watermark on the top right side of the video. When we searched for the video using relevant keywords, a video with similar visuals was found published on the ‘USA TODAY’ news website on 07 August 2018. This article reported it as the visuals of a fuel tanker explosion on a highway in Italy. Several other news websites have also published videos and articles reporting it as truck explosion visuals in Bologna, Italy. They can be seen here, here, and here.
Video Clip-2:
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, videos with similar visuals were found published by several news channels in July 2020. They can be seen here, here, and here. All these news channels reported it as the visuals of a massive fire that broke out because of a crude oil pipeline leakage in Cairo, Egypt. Reporting the complete details of the fire accident, several news websites have published articles. They can be seen here and here.  A total of 17 people were reportedly injured in this fire accident.
Video Clip-3:
On reverse image search, a video with similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel on 07 August 2020. This YouTube user mentioned it as the visuals of a massive fire accident that took place inside a market in Ajman, UAE. On observing carefully, we could see the text ‘Belad Al Sham’ on a shop hoarding. On comparing the photos of the ‘Belad Al Sham’ shop in Ajman with the shop visuals seen in the photo, is confirmed that the incident had taken place in the Emirate of Ajman.
When we searched for more sources using relevant keywords, a similar fire accident photo was found in an article published by the ‘Tasnim News Agency’ on 06 August 2020. According to the article, a massive fire explosion took place in a closed fruit and vegetable market located near the industrial area of the emirate of Ajman. Reporting the same, several other news websites have also published articles about this fire accident. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an old fire accident visuals are shared as that of a crude oil tanker explosion in Dubai.

created: December 22, 2021


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Old firing exercise video from Maharashtra is being shared as a recent attack by the Indian Army on POK - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 24, 2019
A video is being shared on Facebook with a claim that it shows Indian Army firing on POK (Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir) on 20 October 2019, a week before Diwali. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of Indian Army firing on POK.
Fact: The video is related to the Indian Army’s firing exercise at Deolali firing range in June-2019. It is in no way connected to any attack on POK; it was just a firing exercise. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were through Google Reverse Image Search, some YouTube videos with similar visuals were found in the search results. One of those YouTube videos had the following title, ‘Indian Army Firing Exercise (BM-21) at the Deolali ranges -| 2019’. So, when searched with those keywords on Google, it was found that the same video was also posted by Times of India in June-2019. The video has the following description, ‘The Indian Army fired back to back BM-21 Grad missiles during a firing exercise in Maharashtra’s Deolali.’ So, a firing exercise video taken in June-2019 is being shared as recent firing by the Indian Army on POK.
To sum it up, an old firing exercise video from Maharashtra is being shared as a recent attack by the Indian Army on POK.
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created: October 24, 2019


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Old flag hoisting video from Hyderabad falsely shared as that at Wagah border - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 3, 2020
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows 120 X 80 feet large Indian National flag being hoisted on a 360 feet tall flag post at Wagah border in Punjab. It is also being claimed that it holds a world record. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of Indian flag being hoisted at Wagah border in Punjab.
Fact: The video is not related to flag hoisting at Wagah border. The video was taken at Hyderabad when a 108 X 72 feet large Indian flag was hoisted on a 291 feet tall flag post in 2016. Also, the flag at Attari (near Wagah border) does not hold the world record. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same video was found to be uploaded by a Facebook user in January 2017 with the claim that the video is related to a flag hoisted at Tank Bund in Hyderabad. So, when we searched with the relevant keywords, a video of the same flag hoisting event taken from another angle was found on YouTube. In the description of the video, the following can be read – ‘CM KCR Hoists Largest Indian Biggest Flag in Hyderabad’. Similar visuals (same plants, same car, and same music at same timings) can be seen in both the videos. The video was taken at Hyderabad when a 108 X 72 feet large Indian flag was hoisted on a 291 feet tall flag post in 2016. The flag hoisted in the video was then (in 2016) the largest and second tallest flag in India. More videos of the event at Hyderabad on 2 June 2016 (Telangana State Formation Day) can be seen here and here.
In March 2017, then the largest flag was hoisted on a 360 feet tall flag post (then, tallest in India) at Attari, near Wagah border, in Punjab. So, the Hyderabad flag lost the largest flag tag to Attari. Pakistan first objected to the Attari flag but later hoisted a large flag on a 400 feet pole as a counter to India. Also, later, the largest flag in India was hoisted at Belgavi (Karnataka) in 2018 on a flag post which was 361 feet high. It is taller than the Attari flag post by just one foot. It is to be noted that the list keeps on changing with many States trying to install the tallest and the largest flag. Some news agencies have reported in 2019 that a 380 feet tall flag post will be coming up at Meerut. The tallest and the largest flags in the world can be found here and here respectively.
To sum it up, an old flag hoisting video from Hyderabad falsely shared as flag hoisting at Wagah border.
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created: September 3, 2020


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Old footage of the Kalash Yatra held in Greater Noida is incorrectly shared as having taken place in Hyderabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 23, 2024
Update (23 January 2024): The same video is being circulated, purportedly showing Nepalis from Janakpur arriving in Ayodhya with gifts for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration ceremony. However, as debunked below, these visuals do not depict Nepalis journeying to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Visuals of Nepali people traveling to Ayodhya and sending gifts can be viewed here, here and here.
In view of the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya that is scheduled for 22 January 2024, Kalash Yatras are being held in various cities nationwide (here). Against this backdrop, a video depicting a large procession is being shared claiming to show Akshat Kalash Yatra organized in Hyderabad. This article aims to fact-check the authenticity of the video and its connection to the claimed event.
Claim: Visuals depicting Akshat Kalash Yatra held in Hyderabad.
Fact: These visuals are associated with a Kalash Yatra arranged in Greater Noida before the Bhagwat Katha conducted by Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri  back in July 2023. There are no reports of any Kalash Yatra organized in Hyderabad in connection with the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video that is currently viral does capture a Kalash Yatra, but it is not held in Hyderabad, and this procession is unrelated to the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. A reverse image search on screenshots from this video led us to multiple news articles that reported similar visuals back in July 2023.
As per these reports, these visuals show a  Kalash Yatra held in Greater Noida before the Bhagwat Katha conducted by Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, famously known as Bageshwar Baba.
A further search yielded a video of the  Kalash Yatra arranged in Greater Noida on the official YouTube channel of Bageshwar Dham, uploaded on 09 July 2023. This video featured visuals resembling those in the viral footage.
Additional news articles covering the Kalash Yatra in Greater Noida in July 2023 can be viewed here and here. Moreover, we could not find any reports of any Kalash Yatra organized in Hyderabad in connection with the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Thus, all these findings confirm that the viral footage does not originate from Hyderabad and the procession is unrelated to the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
To sum it up, old footage of Kalash Yatra held in Greater Noida is incorrectly shared as having taken place in Hyderabad

created: January 23, 2024


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Old funeral pictures of jawan Shakti Singh Shekhawat who died in a road accident in 2018 are shared with a misleading narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 15, 2022
A collage of images is being shared on social media claiming it to be showing the pictures of a martyred Indian army soldier named Shakthi Singh. This post claims that Shakthi Singh was recently martyred in Kashmir 10 days after his marriage. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Pictures of an Indian army soldier who was recently martyred in Kashmir.
Fact: The pictures shared in the post show Shakti Singh Shekhawat, an Indian army soldier who died in a road accident near Rajasthan’s Chomu town in 2018. Shakti Singh died after a bus hit him on Singod Khurd to Chomu highway in November 2018. This incident took place ten days after his marriage which took place on 19 November 2018. Shakti Singh Shekhawat did not die recently while fighting terrorists in Kashmir. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the photos shared in the post, the same photos were found posted by many social media users in 2018. A few of those posts can be seen here, here, and here. These social media users mentioned these as pictures of Indian army jawan Shakti Singh Shekhawat who died 10 days after his marriage.
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords on the internet, we found a tweet made by Rajasthan Congress leader Rukshmanii Kumari regarding the death of Indian soldier Shakti Singh Shekhawat. Rukshmanii Kumari through the tweet expressed her deep condolences for the sudden demise of jawan Shakti Singh Shekhawat, a resident of Singod Khurd village near Chomu town in the Jaipur district of Rajasthan.
भारतीय सेना में नियुक्त विधानसभा #चोमू के ग्राम #सिंगोद_खुर्द निवासी शक्ति सिंह के आकस्मिक निधन पर पीड़ित परिवार के साथ मेरी संवेदनाएं ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि वह शक्ति सिंह को अपने ह्रदय में स्थान दें| pic.twitter.com/P1DiIDYPn7
On searching for further sources, we found the ‘Patrika’ newspaper clipping that reported the death of Shakti Singh Shekhawat in 2018. According to the news report, Shakti Singh Shekhawat died after a bus hit him while travelling on Singod Khurd to Chomu highway on 28 November 2018. Shakti Singh Shekhawat reportedly died 10 days after his marriage which took place on 19 November 2018. The ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ news website too reported the same in an article published in 2018.
In 2016, an Indian army jawan named Shakti Singh was martyred during a terrorist attack in the Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir. But the incident has nothing to do with the photos shared in the post. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the images show Shakti Singh Shekhawat who died in 2018 in a road accident, not while fighting terrorists in Kashmir.
To sum it up, old funeral pictures of jawan Shakti Singh Shekhawat who died in a road accident in 2018 are shared with a misleading narrative.

created: December 15, 2022


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Clip from an old Hmong movie shared as a woman buried alive with her deceased husband in Thailand - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 27, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of a woman being buried alive with her dead husband in Thailand. Sharing the video, the post claims that a tribe in Thailand follows a custom to bury women next to their deceased husbands. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a woman being buried alive with her deceased husband in Thailand.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a scene from an old Hmong film series Neeg Lub Txim. The video does not show a real incident of a woman being buried alive with her deceased husband in Thailand. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by ‘HouseOFXiong’ YouTube channel 13 years ago in 2009. The YouTube channel described it as the visuals from the 9 episode of the Neeg Lub Txim movie series.
After watching the previous episodes of this Hmong movie, it is confirmed that the scene shows people burying a woman alive as a punishment for conspiring to the death of her husband. Previous episodes of this movie series can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, a scene from an old Hmong movie is shared as visuals of a woman buried alive next to her deceased husband in Thailand.

created: February 27, 2023


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Old image falsely shared as ‘Map of India redesigned by an American CEO to show India’s effective handling of the COVID-19 crisis’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2020
An image of a map of India which shows each state of the country represented with a country is being widely shared on social media with a message. The crux of the message is that an American CEO has redesigned that map of India by representing each state with a country equivalent to that state’s population and has explained to his employees the efficient manner in which the Government of India is handling the COVID-19 crisis. But, FACTLY has found the image to be existing much prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the world. The same image was found to be existing on the internet at least since 2016.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. Earliest Source – https://twitter.com/ErikSolheim/status/725937576532578304
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Old image falsely shared as ‘Suicide committed due to lack of facilities during the lockdown’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 13, 2020
An image is being shared with the claim that, after the sudden announcement of lockdown by PM Modi, the family of a migrant worker who was walking from Surat (Gujarat) to Uttar Pradesh has committed suicide after they were exhausted on their way. ‘FACTLY’ has found the image to be old. It is not related to any recent incident during the lockdown. The image is of an incident that took place in 2018.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact – https://www.nagpurtoday.in/husband-wife-commit-suicide-wardha/06132134
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye-ltmrx2PQ
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Old image falsely shared as ‘Tablighi Jamaat member beaten up by UP Police for misbehaving with a nurse in the Ghaziabad quarantine’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2020
An image of a man with lashes on his back is being shared with the claim that he is a Tablighi Jamaat member and he was beaten up by UP Police for misbehaving with a nurse in the Ghaziabad quarantine. ‘FACTLY’ has found that the image is not related to any recent incident, and has nothing to with any incident in a quarantine facility. The image is found to exist on the internet at least since July 2019.
It is also to be noted that on 02 April 2020, nurses working at MMG district hospital in Ghaziabad,  have accused that six persons associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, who were brought to the hospital for quarantine, behaved inappropriately and complained to Medical Superintendent Ravinder Singh, who wrote to the Uttar Pradesh Police. Ghaziabad SSP, Kalanidhi Naithani said “An FIR has been registered on a complaint that patients admitted at hospital’s (MMG District Hospital) isolation ward were misbehaving with hospital staff. It has been directed to ensure fair investigation in the matter,”
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. Earliest Source – https://www.facebook.com/valobasarareknamjontrona.munna/photos/pcb.2541547915856814/2541547779190161/?type=3&theater
2. News Report – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lk32SggGFU
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Old image from a 2019 Left front rally is being shared as a recent one from Congress -Left meeting - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 1, 2021
A post accompanying a couple of images of a large gathering is being shared widely across social media platforms with a claim that the image shows the crowd from the latest meeting held by Congress and Left parties in Kolkata. Even the Congress party’s official Twitter handle also shared the same image with a similar claim. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images showing large crowd gathering in a recent meeting organized by Congress and Left parties.
Fact: The image actually shows a large public gathering for a meeting organized by left-front parties in Kolkata’s Brigade parade ground back in 2019. Multiple news agencies have reported the meeting. Although the Left parties held a meeting recently in which the Congress party also participated, these images are not related to that meeting. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Except for their brightness levels, both the images in the post are actually the same. Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a 2019 news article that published the same image. As per this article, the image shows a large public gathering for a meeting organized by the Left front in the brigade parade ground in Kolkata.
Taking a cue from the news article, further search led us to a tweet by CPI (M) West Bengal unit dated 10 June 2020. The tweet shared the same image with the caption ‘A bird eye view of last year Birgade Rally at Kolkata’. This implies that the image is actually of the 2019 meeting.
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”
A bird eye view of last year Birgade Rally at #Kolkata #LalSalaamComrade pic.twitter.com/EmuvpqaiXI
Further Google search with relevant keywords led us to multiple news articles which reported this particular meeting back in 2019. These news articles can be read here and here. All these establish that the image in the post is not related to the recent meeting.
In view of the recent rally organized by the left parties at Kolkata’s Brigade parade ground in which the Congress party also took part, posts like these are being shared on social media with misleading claims.
To sum it up, an old image from a 2019 Left front rally is being shared as recent one from Congress -Left meeting in Kolkata.


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Old image from Canada is shared as Sikhs offering Langar in Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 27, 2022
Amid the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, an image is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows Sikhs offering Langar in Ukraine in these difficult times. Let’s verify the claim being made in these posts.
Claim: Sikhs offering Langar in Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict
Fact: The image of Sikhs offering Langar is old and is available on the internet at least since 2017. ‘We The Sikhs’ uploaded the same image on their Facebook and Twitter profiles on 06 August 2018 with the the description ‘Canada’s first Free Food Truck – Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s LANGAR – Goodbye Hunger.’  Though there are reports of Sikhs offering Langar on train for students escaping from Ukraine, this image is not related to the current conflict. Hence the claim made in the post in MISLEADING.
When the image was run through Google Reverse Image search, the same photo was found to be shared on social media at least since December 2017. Also, ‘We The Sikhs’ uploaded the same image on their Facebook and Twitter profiles, on 06 August 2018, with the description – “Canada’s first Free Food Truck – Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s LANGAR – Goodbye Hunger.”
A similar food truck can be found in many visuals from 2016. Some of those visuals can be seen here, here, and here. Also, the phone number of ‘Sikh Sewa Society Toronto’ can be seen on the truck.
However, there are recent reports of Sikhs offering Langar on the train for students escaping from Ukraine. Those news articles can be read here and here.
To sum it up, the posted Langar photo is an old one and is from Canada. It is not related to Ukraine.

created: February 27, 2022


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Old Image from Nepal is passed off as a major Earthquake in Assam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2021
A social media post is being widely shared claiming that the image is of a partially collapsed building due to a major earthquake in Assam. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of collapsed buildings due to a major Earthquake in Assam.
Fact: The image was captured on 25 April 2015 in Kathmandu when Nepal was facing one of its worst earthquakes in decades. Though there was a recent earthquake incident in Assam, this image is not related to Assam and was taken more than 6 years ago. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the image in the post directed us to a news article that was published more than 6 years ago. According to the article, the image was captured on 25 April 2015 in Kathmandu at a time when Nepal had one of its worst Earthquakes in decades. Therefore, the image is not from Assam, but from Nepal.
However, it is true that there was a major earthquake in Assam recently. Several houses and buildings were damaged after an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Assam around 8 am on 28 April 2021. Some of the news articles about the incident can be seen here, here, here, and here. Hence, the image in the post is unrelated to the recent incident as it is more than 6 years old.
Like the image in the post, a building in Nagaon tilted against its adjacent building because of the recent earthquake that hit Assam. Here is the Twitter video post of the building.
#WATCH Assam | A building in Nagaon tilts against its adjacent building. An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter Scale hit Sonitpur today. Tremors were felt in Nagaon too. pic.twitter.com/03ljgzyBhS
To sum it up, an old image of Nepal is passed off as a major Earthquake in Assam.


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Old image is being shared as Nupur Sharma visiting a temple after suspension from the BJP - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2022
In light of the Prophet remarks row, a social media post accompanying an image of BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma performing rituals in a temple is being widely shared with a claim that the image shows Nupur Sharma’s recent visit to a temple after being suspended from the party. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent image from Nupur Sharma’s visit to a temple after suspension from the party.
Fact: The image is actually from Nupur Sharma’s visit to Ujjain temple. She shared the same image on her twitter account on 29 April 2022 whereas she was suspended from the BJP on 05 June 2022, which proves the image is related to her temple visit much before her suspension.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Earlier on 27 May 2022, speaking in a TV debate, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma made controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad. And eventually following a global outrage, she has been suspended from the party on 05 June 2022.
However, the image shared in the post is from her temple visit in Ujjain on 29 April 2022, almost a month before she made those controversial remarks. Reverse image search of the photo shared in the post led us to a tweet by Nupur Sharma, through which she shared the same image.
अपने दो दिवसीय उज्जैन के प्रवास दौरान मुझे हरसिद्दी माता, काल भैरव, श्री महाकालेश्वर, मंगलनाथ, श्री ओंकारेश्वर व ममलेश्वर जी के दर्शन व पूजा अर्चना का सौभाग्य प्राप्त हुआ।
प्रदोष तिथि के दिन भगवान भोलेनाथ ने अपने द्वार बुला कर धन्य कर दिया। 🙏#JaiShriMahakaal #HarHarMahadevॐ pic.twitter.com/VaZQ3kdDu7
Further, we could not find any reports of Nupur Sharma visiting any temple after being suspended from the party.
To sum it up, an old image is being shared as Nupur Sharma visiting a temple after suspension from the BJP.


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Old image is shared as farmers in Delhi to participate in tractor rally - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 25, 2021
In view of the proposed tractor rally by protesting farmers on 26 January 2021 against the new farm laws, a social media post accompanying an image of a large gathering of people is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that the image shows farmers who have entered Delhi to participate in the rally. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing a large number of farmers who have entered Delhi to participate in the protest on 26 January 2021.
Fact: This is an old image. Few social media users shared the same image back in 2017. It is true that farmers from different parts of the country are heading to Delhi to participate in the proposed tractor rally, but this image has nothing to do with them. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a few old social media posts which shared the same image. A 2017 social media post that shared a similar image, was digitally created by placing a man’s image on top of the image being shared now. A large gathering similar to the one in the post can be seen here.
Further reverse image search also led us to a 2017 YouTube video that carried visuals similar to the image in the post. All these establish that the image is old and is not related to the ongoing farmers’ protest. However, we could any find credible information regarding the location & the context of this image.
At the same time, it is true that farmers from across the country have reached Delhi to participate in the tractor rally on Republic Day. In the light of the proposed tractor rally by farmers in Delhi on 26 January 2021 opposing the new farm laws, posts like these are being shared with misleading claims.
To sum it up, an old image is passed off as farmers who reached Delhi to participate in the tractor rally.

created: January 25, 2021


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Old image of a banner about Lord Ram is being linked to ongoing farmers' protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 3, 2020
A post with an image of a banner which has a slogan about Modi, Yogi and Lord Ram is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that this banner was displayed during the ongoing protests by farmers opposing the new farm bills. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Farmers displayed a banner against Lord Ram in the ongoing farmers’ protest.
Fact: This image of a banner with a slogan about Lord Ram was featured during the farmers’ protest in Delhi back in 2018. This has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protests. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the photo led us to a 2018 Facebook post which shared the same image. According to this post, the image was shared associating it with farmers’ protest back then.
Taking a cue from the time period of the Facebook post, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a tweet by a news agency which shared an image of the same banner. According to the tweet, the image is related to farmers protest near Jantar Mantar in Delhi in 2018. Further, we found few news articles related to these protests by farmers around the same time period, these news articles can be read here and here.
Farmers reach Jantar Mantar to carry forward the second day of protests.
Catch all the updates from the #FarmersMarch here: https://t.co/GWQGcVJKOy pic.twitter.com/irheK2nI5X
In the images shared by the news agency, we can spot AIKM (All India Kisan Sabha) placards along with the banner. Further search on the AIKM Facebook page led us to images of the same banner which were posted back in 2018. These can be seen here and here.
We could not find any news articles associating this banner to the ongoing farmers’ protest. With all these pieces of evidence, we can conclude that the banner is associated with farmers protest back in 2018 and has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest.
In the light of the ongoing farmers protest opposing the new farm laws, posts like these are being widely shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, 2018 banner against Lord Ram during the farmers’ protest in Delhi is falsely linked to ongoing farmers’ protest.

created: December 3, 2020


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Old image of a bulldozer razing off a construction is passed off as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 9, 2022
In the recently held 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the campaign of the BJP party also had a bulldozer theme. Bulldozer has gained prominence so much so that Yogi Adityanath earned a new sobriquet of ‘bulldozer baba’. It is in this context, that a social media post accompanying the image of a JCB bulldozer razing a construction is being widely shared with the claim that the image shows a recent demolition of an illegally constructed dargah on Govardhan Parikrama road by the Yogi government. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: A recent image showing Yogi government razing off an illegal dargah with the help of a JCB bulldozer.
Fact: The image is at least four years old and is available on the internet since 2018. There are some old reports of Uttar Pradesh government taking up the beautification of the Govardhan Parikrama area. However, we could not independently verify if the viral image is related to those beautification works. However the presence of the image on internet establishes that it does not show any recent activity. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We could not find any recent reports of the Yogi government razing off any illegal encroachments near the Govardhan Parikrama Marg area. If the Yogi government has indeed taken up any such action lately, the media would have reported it. However, we could not find such reports.
Moreover, the viral image does not show any recent demolition since the image is available on the internet at least since November 2018. Reverse image search of the viral photo yielded multiple 2020 social media posts (here, here & here) that shared the same image, attributing it to Yogi Adityanath. Thus, these old posts prove that the image is not related to any recent demolition activity.
Further search yielded us a few old reports of the Uttar Pradesh government taking up the beautification work of the Govardhan Parikrama (here, here, here & here). However, we could not independently verify whether the viral image is related to any such activity.
To sum it up, an old image of bulldozer razing off a construction is passed off as recent, attributing it to Yogi Adityanath.


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Old image of a container home is shared as interiors of Caravans used in Bharat Jodo Yatra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 19, 2022
An image of a luxury bedroom is being widely shared claiming it as the interior view of the Caravans used for the accommodation of Rahul Gandhi and other congress party leaders during Bharat Jodo Yatra which began on 07 September 2022. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Interior view of the Caravan used for accommodation of Rahul Gandhi and other leaders during Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Fact: The image shared in the post was uploaded to Flickr on 09 September 2009, by a New Zealand based prefabricated home making company. Also, the interiors of the containers used in the Bharat Jodo yatra do not match with the image shared in the post. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE
We ran a reverse image search of the viral image and found that the same image with higher resolution was uploaded to image hosting website Flickr on 16 September 2009 by a New Zealand based prefabricated house maker “One cool habitat”.
Upon comparing the both the images, we can conclude that both the images are same. Images of the same bedroom from different angles can be here. The metadata of the image also shows the same information.
Further research led us to the media reports showing the containers used for the accommodation of Rahul Gandhi and fellow Congress Party leaders. In an interview with India Today, Rajya Sabha MP and Congress party leader Jairam Ramesh said, “You’re seeing it for yourself, it’s a bare minimal container. There are 60 containers and about 230 people are accommodated. Rahul Gandhi’s container is a one-bed container. My container and Digvijay Singh’s container are 2-bed containers. There are 4-bed container and 12-bed containers too. These are not made in China containers. These are bare minimal utilitarian containers which we have hired from a Mumbai based company.”
Bharat Jodo Yatra: Congress leaders to spend next 150 days in container. Congress leader @Jairam_Ramesh shows the containers, where 'Bharat Yatri's' are sleeping.#Congress #RahulGandhi #ReporterDiary
(@mausamii2u) pic.twitter.com/qfjfxVVxtm
The official media platform of Congress Party, INC TV, also posted a video on Twitter showing the interiors of a multi-bed container. The inside view of Rahul Gandhi’s container can be seen here. A News24 report showing the interior views of Jairam Ramesh’s container can be seen here
Exclusive
Live : ट्रक उसपर कंटेनर और कंटेनर के अंदर साधारण बिस्तरे।
एक एक कंटेनर में कही 8 तो कही कही 12 लोग रात को विश्राम करते है। pic.twitter.com/A04bNN0GH7
To sum it up, an old image is being shared as interiors of the caravan used in Bharat Jodo Yatra

created: September 19, 2022


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Old image of a damaged road in Thailand is being attributed to Indian roads - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 29, 2022
An image of a damaged road is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows the horrible condition of Indian roads. The post satirically adds that it is built with a new technology in collaboration with Israel. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of a damaged road in India.
Fact: The road shown in the image belongs to Thailand. Several social media users in Thailand shared this picture in 2019 criticising the poor quality of roads. Thai PBS also published news article regarding the issue. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the viral image, we found that Thai Public Broadcasting Service website published a news article on 01 September 2019 with this image as the thumbnail. According to this article, social media users criticised the Ban Huai Thom-Na Nong Daeng Road, Pa Ko Subdistrict, Chanuman District, Amnat Charoen Province, which slipped out like a sheet after flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
We found that several Thailand social media users had shared this image on their timeline in 2019. One can see them here and here
To sum it up, old image of a damaged road in Thailand is being attributed to Indian roads


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Old Image of a dead Mother being carried on a bike is falsely linked to Oxygen shortage during current COVID-19 crisis - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 27, 2021
An image of a dead mother being carried by her son and husband on a bike is being shared on social media, claiming that the situation arose because of the unavailability of the ambulance, which is being linked to India’s current Oxygen crisis. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of a dead mother being carried by her son and husband on a bike due to unavailability of an ambulance amid India’s COVID-19 related Oxygen crisis.
Fact: The photo in the post was taken in June 2017 when a dead Mother was being carried by her Son and Husband due to denial of a Mortuary Van in Purnia Sadar Hospital, Bihar. The photo is not related to the present COVID-19 pandemic and the oxygen shortage crisis in India due to rising COVID-19 cases. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we performed a Reverse Image Search of the photo, Google search results led us to an article by Hindustan Times, published on 04 June 2017. The article describes the plight of the son and father who had to carry the dead mother on a bike as they were denied a Mortuary Van. According to the article, both son and father were wage labourers in Punjab who rushed back to their village when informed about the Mother’s illness. They got her admitted to Purnia Sadar Hospital but she eventually died of her illness. This incident happened in Purnia District, Bihar. Another news article confirms the same incident in 2017.
India is facing an acute shortage of medical oxygen amidst increasing COVID-19 cases. Over the past week, many COVID-19 patients have died due to the unavailability of medical oxygen in hospitals in a few states. Related news articles can be seen here, here, and here. But the post above cannot be linked to the crisis the country is presently facing because the incident in the post took place in 2017 when the  COVID-19 pandemic was unknown.
To sum it up, old image of a person carrying his dead mother on a bike is linked to Oxygen shortage during present COVID-19 crisis.


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Old image of a dilapidated mohalla clinic is passed off as the present condition of the clinic - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 1, 2021
A social media post accompanying an image of a dilapidated mohalla clinic in Delhi is being shared with a claim alluding that this image shows the present condition of the mohalla clinic.  Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image showing present dilapidated condition of Mohalla clinic in Delhi.
Fact: This image shows the condition of Babarpur mohalla clinic back in 2018. AAP has refuted the claim that the image shows the present condition of the clinic by sharing a video of the present condition of the clinic. The present condition of this particular clinic is in no way similar to the image in the post. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a 2018 news article that published the same image. According to this article, the image shows the deteriorated condition of a Mohalla clinic in Babarpur. The title of the article reads ‘Donkeys sleep in Kejriwal’s dream project Mohalla Clinic, horses rest’. This confirms that this is an old image.
Further search led us to a tweet by Gopal Rai, who is the elected representative of Babarpur constituency. The tweet shares the images from the inauguration of the mohalla clinic in Babarpur’s Kabir Nagar in October 2019.
बाबरपुर विधानसभा के वार्ड 49 E के कबीर नगर में मोहल्ला क्लीनिक, शमशान घाट में शैड, सड़क, पानी की लाइन, गालियाँ एवं अन्य विकास कार्यो का उद्घाटन किया। pic.twitter.com/J4sDk9lC50
Further, when Delhi BJP leader Gautam Gambhir shared the same image on Twitter, AAP’s official Twitter handle replied to this tweet by sharing the video of AAP councillor showing the present condition of the clinic.
.@GautamGambhir जी,
2020 दिल्ली विधानसभा चुनाव से पहले आपने बंद स्कूल की तस्वीर दिखा कर झूठ फैलाया था।
आज आपने 3 साल पुरानी Under Construction मोहल्ला क्लिनिक की तस्वीर दिखा कर झूठ फैलाया है।
लगता है भाजपा को Manipulated Media Party बनने का बहुत शौक है! pic.twitter.com/eMOumiBDEb
To sum it up, the old image of a dilapidated mohalla clinic is passed off as the present condition of the clinic.


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Old image of a Dog next to a human trapped under rubble is attributed to the recent earthquake in Turkey - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 8, 2023
In wake of the recent earthquake in Turkey, an image of a dog sitting beside a human trapped under the rubble is being widely circulated, attributing the image to the recent earthquake in Turkey. Through this article, let’s fact-check authenticity of the image shared in the post.
Claim: Image of a dog lying next to the arm of a human trapped under the rubble caused by the recent earthquake in Turkey on 06 February 2023.
Fact: The image is available on multiple stock image repositories at least since 2018. However, information about the specific location of this image not known. While it is believed that hundreds of people are still feared to be stuck under the debris, this viral image is not related to the recent earthquake in Turkey. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
More than 11,000 are feared dead and still thousands are believed to be stuck under the rubble, following the earthquake in Turkey. Visuals of people being trapped under the rubble and being rescued have been reported in large numbers by media agencies (here & here). These visuals are also being circulated on social media platforms.
However, the viral image of a dog lying next to someone trapped under the debris is not related to the recent earthquake in Turkey & Syria. Reverse image search of the photo reveals that it is years old and has nothing to do with the recent earthquake in Turkey. Through reverse image search, we came across the same image on multiple stock image repositories (here, here, and here).
The oldest upload is on Alamy, dating back to 18 October 2018.  The description associated with the image implies that it is related to an earthquake. However, there is no specific mention of the location of this image.
To sum it up, an old image of a dog lying next to a human trapped under rubble is being shared attributing it to the recent earthquake in Turkey.

created: February 8, 2023


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Old image of a little girl serving Rotis is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 22, 2020
A post accompanying an image of a little girl holding a basket of rotis is being widely shared across social media platforms associating the image to the ongoing farmers’ protest. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Little girl serving rotis to protesting farmers.
Fact: The image is available on the internet since 2017. The image has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a 2017 Facebook post which shared the same image. The location pinned with this post is of Paonta Sahib, which is a town in Himachal Pradesh.
Though we could not independently verify the original source and location of the image, the presence of the image on the internet dating back to 2017 establishes the fact that this image has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest.
In the light of the ongoing farmers’ protests against the new farm legislation, posts like these are being shared across social media with misleading claims.
To sum it up, at least three years old image is being shared as a little girl serving rotis to farmers protesting against the recently launched farm legislation.

created: December 22, 2020


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Old image of a monk serving food to Muslim men in West Bengal is shared as the one killed in recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2021
In the wake of a recent attack on ISKCON temple by a Muslim mob in Bangladesh, a social media post accompanying an image of a monk serving food to Muslim men is being shared widely. The post claims that the monk is Swamy Nitai Das and he has been killed in the recent attacks on the ISKCON temple in Bangladesh. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of ISKCON monk  from Bangladesh who died in the recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
Fact: ISKCON’s report related to latest attacks in Bangladesh did not name any deceased with the name Swamy Nithai Das. The image is from Iftar hosted by ISKCON Mayapurin West Bengal back in 2016. ISKCON Mayapur also confirmed the same and stated that the monk in the image is Ivan Antic  and he is very much safe and alive. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
ISKCON released a report on the recent attacks in Bangladesh. As per this report, two devotees named Pranta Chandra Das and Jatan Chandra Saha were killed in the attack on ISKCON Choumoni, whereas another devotee Nimai Chandra Das was hospitalized. However, the report did not name any deceased with the name Swamy Nithai Das. Further, we could not find any news reports stating the death of a monk with the name Swamy Nithai Das in the recent attacks.
On the other hand, the image shared in the post dates back to 2016 and has nothing to do with Bangladesh. Reverse image search of this photo led us to an article that published the same image. As per the article, ISKCON Mayapur in West Bengal had hosted Iftar for Muslims as part of a celebration of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness’ 50th anniversary. Following the Iftar, these men also offered their evening prayers inside the temple.
The description of the image reads ‘a monk from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness offers sweetmeats to Muslims during Iftar at the Hindu group’s temple in Mayapur’. This suggests that the image has nothing to do with Bangladesh ISKCON as claimed in the post.
Further, in their correspondence with BOOM, a fact-checking agency, ISKCON National director of communications Yudhisthir Govind Das confirmed that the picture is from ISKCON Mayapur (West Bengal).
Das told  BOOM that he was present in the Iftar organised on the ISKCON Mayapur complex in 2016 and he identified the man in the viral picture as Ivan Antic, a native of Pula in Croatia. He further added that Ivan’s deeksha name is Nitayi Das and he had returned to Croatia before the Coronavirus pandemic, and he is safe and alive.
To sum it up, an old image of a monk serving food to Muslim men is shared as the ISKCON monk killed in recent Bangladesh communal clashes.

created: October 21, 2021


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Old image of a sinkhole on a road in Ahmedabad is falsely linked to Banaras in Uttar Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 21, 2020
A post with the image of a sinkhole which opened up along the road is doing rounds on social media with the claim that the image is from Banaras, Uttar Pradesh. Through this article, lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Image of a sinkhole which opened up along the roadway in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: This image is doing rounds on the internet for a few years now. Also, in the image, we can see AMC written on a barricade which stands for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. When we compare the image in the post to the screenshot from the video of a sinkhole which opened up along a road in Ahmedabad, we can see similar barricades with AMC written on it. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the image led us to many social media posts which shared the same image. One such post by Sanjay Singh, MP Rajya Sabha dates back to 27 July 2017. This makes it clear that the image is not new to social media.
विकास ऊपर से लेकर नीचे तक पहुँच चुका है,अगर आपको दिखाई नही देता तो इसमें मोदी जी का क्या दोष है? pic.twitter.com/qDScnlnyom
If we take a close look at the better version of the same image shared by the MP, we can see the letters ‘AMC’ written on the barricades which stands for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, also written in Gujarati.
Taking a cue from here,  we ran a search on YouTube using the keywords ‘Ahmedabad Swastik intersection sinkhole 2017’. We then found a news video which reported an incident of a sinkhole which opened up along the swastika intersection road, Ahmedabad. Though the video is uploaded on 26 June 2019, in the video we can find barricades similar to those in the image in the post. Also, in the video, we can see ‘AMC’ written on the barricade. With this, we can infer that the image in the post is from Gujarat.
In 2018 when the same image along with few other images went viral with the claim that the images are from Varanasi, India Today has debunked the claim which can be read here.
To sum it up, image of a sinkhole which opened up along the roadway is from Ahmedabad.
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Old image of Akhilesh Yadav serving food with shoes on, is shared as from recent Navratri festivities - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 20, 2021
A post accompanying the image of former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav serving food to a woman is being shared with a claim that Akhilesh Yadav served food to a woman with his footwear on, during Navratri festivities. The post alluded that Akhilesh disrespected the Hindu customs by doing so. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Akhilesh Yadav disrespecting Hindu customs by serving food to a woman during Navratri with his shoes on.
Fact: This image is captured back in 2016 during the launch of the Hausala Nutrition Scheme, which provides hot nutritious meals to pregnant women & malnourished children. News agencies reported that people were not pleased with Akhilesh wearing footwear while serving food to pregnant woman, as Akhilesh’s feet can be seen close to the food plate. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This is an old image and has nothing to do with Navratri. Reverse image search of the photo yielded multiple news articles which published the same image back in 2016. These articles can be read here and here. As per these articles, the image was captured during the launch of the Hausala Nutrition Scheme, which provides hot nutritious meals to pregnant women & malnourished children.
However, these articles reported that people were not pleased with Akhilesh wearing footwear while serving food to pregnant woman as Akhilesh’s feet can be seen close to the food plate. Further, Akhilesh Yadav shared the same image on Twitter with a description that reads ‘Launched Hausala Nutrition Scheme, which will provide hot nutritious meals to pregnant women & malnourished children’. From this, we can conclude that the image is not related to recent Navratri festivities.
Launched Hausala Nutrition Scheme, which will provide hot nutritious meals to pregnant women & malnourished children pic.twitter.com/wy1n618FWI
To sum it up, an old image of Akhilesh Yadav serving food with shoes on, is shared as though from recent Navratri festivities.

created: October 20, 2021


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Old image of an Army officer at her husband’s funeral with a newborn is shared as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 12, 2024
A photo depicting Indian Army officer Major Kumud Dogra attending the funeral of her husband, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Dushyant Vats, while holding their daughter, is being shared claiming that Indian media outlets are neglecting this news and, instead, focusing on the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, the son of Mukesh Ambani, with Radhika Merchant. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The media covered the pre-wedding events of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant but did not report on the news of Indian Army officer Major Kumud Dogra attending the funeral of her husband, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Dushyant Vats while holding their daughter at the same time.
Fact: The picture is not recent; it was captured during the funeral of IAF Wing Commander Dushyant Vats, who lost his life in an aircraft crash in 2018. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On performing a relevant keyword search regarding the claim, we found news reports published by the Indian Express on 23 February 2018 featuring the same image with the title, “IAF chopper crash: This army officer’s photo with her newborn at her husband’s funeral has left everyone teary-eyed.”
Subsequent research led us to more such articles published in 2018 (here, here and here). As per the reports, on 15 February 2018, Wing Commander Dushyant Vats of the Indian Air Force tragically lost his life in a Microlight aircraft crash in Majuli, Assam. During a routine sortie, the Virus SW80 he was piloting encountered technical issues, resulting in the crash. Shortly after the incident, a photograph of his wife gained widespread attention on social media. In the image, Major Kumud Dogra is observed proceeding to her husband’s funeral, accompanied by their five-day-old baby girl on the day of the funeral.
To sum up, an old image of an Army officer at her husband’s funeral with a newborn was shared as a recent one.


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Old image of an English cricketer is morphed so as to look like Swami Vivekananda bowling in a cricket match - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 30, 2021
A post accompanying an image of  Swami Vivekananda bowling in a cricket match is being shared with a claim that the image was clicked when he was bowling for the Calcutta Town Club in 1884 at Eden Gardens. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Swami Vivekananda bowling in a cricket match.
Fact: It is true that Swami Vivekananda claimed seven wickets in a match representing the Town Club at Eden Gardens back in 1880s. However, the viral image is not his. The original image features Hedley Verity, an English cricketer. This image of Hedley Verity is digitally morphed so as to look like Swami Vivekananda bowling. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
This is a digitally morphed image. The original picture features Hedley Verity, an English cricketer. Reverse image search of the viral photo led us to the original image on Getty Images. As per the description accompanying the image, the cricketer featured in the image is Yorkshire cricketer Hedley Verity and the image is captured on 01 January 1940.
Upon comparison of this image with that of the viral image, it is apparent that this image of Hedley Verity is digitally morphed so as to look as if  Swami Vivekananda is bowling.
However, it is true that Swami Vivekananda tried his hand at Cricket. He represented the Town Club of Kolkata. Multiple news articles and cricket blogs mentioned this aspect of him. In fact, in a match at Eden Gardens representing Town Club, Swami Vivekananda ended up taking seven wickets. ‘Not only cricket, but he also possessed skills in football, fencing, and boxing’ wrote Newsmobile. Other articles which reported about Swami’s Cricketing skills can be read here, here, and here.
It is also true that Swami claimed seven wickets at Eden Gardens playing for Town Club. However, the person in the viral image is not him.
To sum it up, the old image of an English cricketer is morphed so as to look like Swami Vivekananda bowling in a cricket match.

created: November 30, 2021