From unrelated and edited visuals being linked with the ongoing wrestlers' protests in Delhi to old visuals being shared as Chennai Super Kings fans crowding the streets of Ahmedabad ahead of the TATA IPL 2023 final, here are some viral posts that misled people this week.
1. Photo of Wrestlers Vinesh and Sangeeta Phogat Smiling During Detention Is Fake
A picture of detained wrestlers who were marching towards the new Parliament building on 28 May is going viral on the internet. Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat can be seen smiling in the picture.
It is being shared with a narrative that the wrestlers are not serious towards their protest and can be seen smiling even after being detained by the Delhi police.
However, this is not the real image. The original one, which showed detained wrestlers in a bus, has been edited to add a 'smile' using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application.
You can read our story here.
2. Fact-Check: Pills in Viral ‘Medicine Jihad’ Clip Are Not Made or Sold in India
A video showing nails being taken out of two capsule casings is being shared on social media.
The video is being shared with text which says, "Be careful, a new form of jihad has started. Its name is 'medicine jihad'. Please make sure to check any capsule before you buy it. Watch this video."
However, we found that the medicines in the video are Esoral 20 mg and Enterofuryl 200 mg.
Neither of these medicines is manufactured or sold in India.
Esoral 20 mg is manufactured and sold in Pakistan and Bangladesh, whereas Enterofuryl 200 mg is made in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
You can read our story here.
3. Video Shows Hindu & Christian Women Being Rescued From an ISIS Camp? No!
A distressing video which shows military personnel rescuing some injured women who are chained in what appears to be a camp is going viral on the internet.
The claim states that the women belonged to Hindu and Christian community and hailed from India and Bangladesh.
It also adds that they were enslaved by the Islamic State (ISIS).
Moreover, the video is being shared in the context of the recently released film, The Kerala Story.
However, the video dates back to September 2022 and shows a women's military unit - YPJ (Yekîneyên Parastina Jin) - rescuing four women from an ISIS camp in Al-Hol, Syria.
According to YPJ, the victims were Yazidis - a minority group in Kurdistan.
There is no evidence to support the claim that these women belonged to Hindu or Christian communities.
You can read our story here.
4. Fact-Check: Old Image Shared as ‘Police Stamping Over a Wrestler's Face’
(Trigger Warning: Disturbing visuals)
An image which shows a person wearing khaki pants and stamping another person's face under their boot is going viral on the internet.
The image is being shared with users linking it to the detention of wrestlers who were marching towards the new Parliament building on Sunday, 28 May.
However, the image is old and unrelated to the wrestlers' protest.
It dates back to January 2021 and reportedly shows police personnel pinning down a person named Ranjit Singh during the farmers' protest at Singhu Border.
You can read our story here.
5. Unrelated Pictures Shared as CSK Fans on Ahmedabad Streets Ahead of IPL Final
A set of three images that show a huge crowd wearing yellow t-shirts gathered on the street is being shared as visuals of Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) fans.
Several users have claimed that the fans were gathered ahead of CSK's clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the finals of 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match was held in Ahmedabad.
However, none of the pictures were taken in India.
The first image is old and was captured during the Great Ethiopian Run.
The second one shows the celebration of Thailand King's birthday in 2012.
The third image is from Gran Canaria, which is an island in Spain.
You can read our story here.
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