#FactCheck - Viral Image of AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi Holding Lord Rama Portrait Proven Fake
Executive Summary:
In recent times an image showing the President of AIMIM, Asaduddin Owaisi holding a portrait of Hindu deity Lord Rama, has gone viral on different social media platforms. After conducting a reverse image search, CyberPeace Research Team then found that the picture was fake. The screenshot of the Facebook post made by Asaduddin Owaisi in 2018 reveals him holding Ambedkar’s picture. But the photo which has been morphed shows Asaduddin Owaisi holding a picture of Lord Rama with a distorted message gives totally different connotations in the political realm because in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Asaduddin Owaisi is a candidate from Hyderabad. This means there is a need to ensure that before sharing any information one must check it is original in order to eliminate fake news.
Claims:
AIMIM Party leader Asaduddin Owaisi standing with the painting of Hindu god Rama and the caption that reads his interest towards Hindu religion.
Fact Check:
In order to investigate the posts, we ran a reverse search of the image. We identified a photo that was shared on the official Facebook wall of the AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on 7th April 2018.
Comparing the two photos we found that the painting Asaduddin Owaisi is holding is of B.R Ambedkar whereas the viral image is of Lord Rama, and the original photo was posted in the year 2018.
Hence, it was concluded that the viral image was digitally modified to spread false propaganda.
Conclusion:
The photograph of AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi holding up one painting of Lord Rama is fake as it has been morphed. The photo that Asaduddin Owaisi uploaded on a Facebook page on 7 Apr 2018 depicted him holding a picture of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. This photograph was digitally altered and the false captions were written to give an altogether different message of Asaduddin Owaisi. It has even highlighted the necessity of fighting fake news that has spread widely through social media platforms especially during the political realm.
- Claim: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi was holding a painting of the Hindu god Lord Rama in his hand.
- Claimed on: X (Formerly known as Twitter)
- Fact Check: Fake & Misleading
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Executive Summary
A video is being widely shared on social media showing soldiers carrying coffins with full military honours. Users are claiming that the footage shows the bodies of American soldiers who were killed in the war with Iran being brought back to the United States.
However, research by the CyberPeacefound the viral claim to be misleading. Our research revealed that the video has no connection to the recent Iran-Israel conflict. The footage actually dates back to December 2025, when an Islamic State gunman in Syria killed two US soldiers and a US civilian.
Following that incident, the bodies of the victims were transported with military honours, and the ceremony was recorded in the viral video. The clip is now being circulated online with a false claim.
Claim
On March 1, 2026, an Instagram user shared the viral video claiming that it shows the bodies of American soldiers returning to the US after being killed in the war against Iran. The caption of the post reads: “Bodies of American soldiers martyred against Iran are returning to the United States. War always brings destruction, which we are now witnessing.”
The link to the post and its archived version can be seen below.
Fact check
To verify the claim, we extracted key frames from the viral video and performed a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the search, we found the full version of the video in a report published by BBC on December 18, 2025. This confirms that the footage predates the current developments.
According to the BBC report, US President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony for two members of the US National Guard and a US civilian who were killed in Syria. The somber ceremony took place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, United States. The US Central Command (Centcom) stated that the two soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush carried out by an Islamic State (IS) gunman in Syria. The US Army identified the two soldiers as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar (25) of Des Moines and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard (29) of Marshalltown. A US civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, was also killed in the attack. Officials said that three other service members were injured during the attack, and the gunman was engaged and killed. Syria’s state media also reported that two Syrian security personnel were injured in the incident.
Further research led us to a report published on the News Nation YouTube channel on December 18, 2025, which also featured the same footage related to the incident.
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral video is not related to the recent Iran-Israel conflict. The footage dates back to December 2025, when two US soldiers and a US civilian were killed in an Islamic State attack in Syria. The video shows the dignified transfer of their remains and is now being shared on social media with a misleading claim.
Background
Cyber slavery and online trafficking have become alarming challenges in Southeast Asia. Against this backdrop, India successfully rescued 197 of its citizens from Mae Sot in Thailand on November 10, 2025, using two Indian Air Force flights. The evacuees had fled Myanmar’s Myawaddy region in October after intense military operations forced them to escape. This was India’s second rescue effort within a week, following the November 6 mission that brought back 270 nationals from similar conditions. The operations were coordinated by the Indian Embassy in Bangkok and the Consulate in Chiang Mai, with crucial assistance from the Royal Thai Government.
The Operation and Bilateral Cooperation
The operation was carried out with the presence and supervision of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of Thailand and Indian Ambassador Nagesh Singh, who were both present at the ceremony in Mae Sot. This way, the two countries have not only proved but also cemented their bond to fight the crimes which were mentioned before and more than that, they have even promised to facilitate communication between their authorities. Prime Minister Charnvirakul thanked India for the quick intervention and added that Thailand would be giving the needed support for the repatriation of the other victims as well.
“Both parties reaffirmed their strong commitment to the fight against cross-border crimes, including cyber scams and human trafficking, in the region and to improving cooperation among the relevant agencies in both countries.”, Embassy of India, Bangkok.
The Cyber Scam Network
The Myawaddy area in Myanmar has made a quick shift to become a hotspot for the entire world of cybercrimes. Moreover, the crimes are especially committed by the organised criminal groups that take advantage of foreign nationals. After the Myanmar military imposed a restriction in late October, over 1,500 people from 28 nations moved to Thailand because of the KK Park cyber hub and other centres being raided.
A UN report (2025) indicated that this fraud activity is part of a larger network that extends the countries populated with very low-tech criminals who target the most naïve, and they are the very ones who end up being tortured. The trafficked persons often belong to the local population or come from neighbouring countries and are recruited with the promise of high salaries as IT or customer service agents, only to be imprisoned in a compound where they are forced to perform phishing, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency scams aimed at the victims all over the globe. These centres operate in border territories having poor governance, easy-to-cross borders, and little police presence, hence making human trafficking a major factor contributing to cybercrime.
India’s Response and Preventive Measures
The Indian Embassy in Thailand worked hand in hand with the Thai government to facilitate bringing back and repatriating the Indian citizens who had entered Thailand illegally when they were escaping Myanmar.
The embassy was far from helpless in the matter. In the case of the embassy's advisory, they suggested to the citizens that:
- It is mandatory to check the authenticity of the job offers and the agents before securing employment in other countries.
- Such employment by means of tourist or visa-free entry permits should be avoided, as such entries allow only for a short-duration visit or tourism.
- Be careful of ads claiming high pay for online or remote work in Southeast Asia.
The embassy reiterated the Government of India’s commitment to ensuring easy access to assistance for citizens overseas and to addressing the growing intersection between cyber fraud and human trafficking.
CyberPeace Analysis and Advisory
The case of Myawaddy demonstrates that cybercrime and human trafficking have grappled to become a complicated global threat. The scam centres gradually come to depend on the trafficked labour of people who are being forced to commit the fraud digitally under coercion. This underlines the requirement for the cybersecurity measures that consider the rights of humans and the protection of the victims, not only the technical defence.
- Cybercrime–Human Trafficking Convergence:
Cybercrime has moved up to the level of a human trafficking operation. The unwilling victims of such fraud schemes are scared for their very lives or even more, not of a reliable way out. This situation is such that one cannot tell where cyber exploitation ends and forced labour begins.
- Cross-Border Enforcement Challenges:
To effectively carry out their unlawful acts, the criminals use legal and jurisdictional loopholes that are present across borders. Dismantling such networks requires the regional cooperation of India, Thailand, and ASEAN countries.
- Socioeconomic Vulnerability:
The situation with unemployment being stagnant and the public not being educated about the situation makes people, especially the youth, very prone to scams of getting hired overseas. Thus, to prevent this uneducated flocking to the fraudsters, it is necessary to constantly implant in them the knowledge of online literacy and the importance of verification of job offers.
- Public–Private Coordination:
The scammers’ mode of operation usually includes online recruitment through social media and encrypted platforms where their victims can be found and contacted. In this regard, cooperation among government institutions, tech platforms, and civil society is imperative to put an end to the operation of these digital trafficking channels.
CyberPeace Expert Advisory
To lessen the possibility of such incidents, CyberPeace suggests the following preventive and policy measures:
Individuals:
- Trust but verify: Before giving your approval to anything, always verify the job offer by official embassy websites or MEA-approved recruiting agencies first.
- Watch out for red flags: If a recruiter offers a very high salary for almost no work, asks for tourist visas, or gives no written contract, be very careful and pull out immediately.
- Protect your documents: Give a trusted person the responsibility of keeping both digital and physical copies of your passport and visa, and also register your travel with the MADAD portal.
- Report if in doubt: If an agent looks suspicious, contact the nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate or report it to cybercrime.gov.in or the 1930 Helpline.
Policymakers and Agencies:
- Strengthen Bilateral Task Forces: Set up armed forces of cyber and human trafficking enforcement units in South and Southeast Asian countries.
- Support Regional Awareness Campaigns: In addition to targeted advisories in local languages, the most vulnerable job seekers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities should also receive such awareness in their languages.
- Overseas Employment Advertising should be regulated: All digital job postings should be made to meet transparency standards and fraudulent recruitment should be punished with heavy fines.
- Invest in Digital Forensics and Intelligence Sharing: Create common databases for monitoring international cybercriminal groups.
Conclusion
The return of Indian citizens from Thailand represents a significant humanitarian and diplomatic milestone and highlights that cybercrime, though carried out through digital channels, remains deeply human in nature. International cooperation, well-informed citizens, and a rights-based cybersecurity approach are the minimum requirements for a global campaign against the new breed of cybercrime that is characterised by fraud and trafficking working hand in hand. CyberPeace reminds everyone that digital vigilance, verification, and collaboration across borders are the most effective ways to prevent online abuse and such crimes.
Reference
- https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/197-indians-repatriated-from-thailand-by-special-indian-air-force-flights-9611934
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-airlifts-citizens-who-worked-in-myanmar-cybercrime-hub-from-thailand/article70264322.ece
- https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/attach/03-List-4-2024.pdf
Introduction
In a world where social media dictates public perception and content created by AI dilutes the difference between fact and fiction, mis/disinformation has become a national cybersecurity threat. Today, disinformation campaigns are designed for their effect, with political manipulation, interference in public health, financial fraud, and even community violence. India, with its 900+ million internet users, is especially susceptible to this distortion online. The advent of deep fakes, AI-text, and hyper-personalised propaganda has made disinformation more plausible and more difficult to identify than ever.
What is Misinformation?
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information provided without intent to deceive. Disinformation, on the other hand, is content intentionally designed to mislead and created and disseminated to harm or manipulate. Both are responsible for what experts have termed an "infodemic", overwhelming people with a deluge of false information that hinders their ability to make decisions.
Examples of impactful mis/disinformation are:
- COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories (e.g., infertility or microchips)
- Election-related false news (e.g., EVM hacking so-called)
- Social disinformation (e.g., manipulated videos of riots)
- Financial scams (e.g., bogus UPI cashbacks or RBI refund plans)
How Misinformation Spreads
Misinformation goes viral because of both technology design and human psychology. Social media sites such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and WhatsApp are designed to amplify messages that elicit high levels of emotional reactions are usually polarising, sensationalistic, or fear-mongering posts. This causes falsehoods or misinformation to get much more attention and activity than authentic facts, and therefore prioritises virality over truth.
Another major consideration is the misuse of generative AI and deep fakes. Applications like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and ElevenLabs can be used to generate highly convincing fake news stories, audio recordings, or videos imitating public figures. These synthetic media assets are increasingly being misused by bad actors for political impersonation, propagating fabricated news reports, and even carrying out voice-based scams.
To this danger are added coordinated disinformation efforts that are commonly operated by foreign or domestic players with certain political or ideological objectives. These efforts employ networks of bot networks on social media, deceptive hashtags, and fabricated images to sway public opinion, especially during politically sensitive events such as elections, protests, or foreign wars. Such efforts are usually automated with the help of bots and meme-driven propaganda, which makes them scalable and traceless.
Why Misinformation is Dangerous
Mis/disinformation is a significant threat to democratic stability, public health, and personal security. Perhaps one of the most pernicious threats is that it undermines public trust. If it goes unchecked, then it destroys trust in core institutions like the media, judiciary, and electoral system. This erosion of public trust has the potential to destabilise democracies and heighten political polarisation.
In India, false information has had terrible real-world outcomes, especially in terms of creating violence. Misleading messages regarding child kidnappers on WhatsApp have resulted in rural mob lynching. As well, communal riots have been sparked due to manipulated religious videos, and false terrorist warnings have created public panic.
The pandemic of COVID-19 also showed us how misinformation can be lethal. Misinformation regarding vaccine safety, miracle cures, and the source of viruses resulted in mass vaccine hesitancy, utilisation of dangerous treatments, and even avoidable deaths.
Aside from health and safety, mis/disinformation has also been used in financial scams. Cybercriminals take advantage of the fear and curiosity of the people by promoting false investment opportunities, phishing URLs, and impersonation cons. Victims get tricked into sharing confidential information or remitting money using seemingly official government or bank websites, leading to losses in crypto Ponzi schemes, UPI scams, and others.
India’s Response to Misinformation
- PIB Fact Check Unit
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) operates a fact-checking service to debunk viral false information, particularly on government policies. In 3 years, the unit identified more than 1,500 misinformation posts across media.
- Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C)
Working under MHA, I4C has collaborated with social media platforms to identify sources of viral misinformation. Through the Cyber Tipline, citizens can report misleading content through 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
- IT Rules (The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 [updated as on 6.4.2023]
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules were updated to enable the government to following aspects:
- Removal of unlawful content
- Platform accountability
- Detection Tools
There are certain detection tool that works as shields in assisting fact-checkers and enforcement bodies to:
- Identify synthetic voice and video scams through technical measures.
- Track misinformation networks.
- Label manipulated media in real-time.
CyberPeace View: Solutions for a Misinformation-Resilient Bharat
- Scale Digital Literacy
"Think Before You Share" programs for rural schools to teach students to check sources, identify clickbait, and not reshare fake news.
- Platform Accountability
Technology platforms need to:
- Flag manipulated media.
- Offer algorithmic transparency.
- Mark AI-created media.
- Provide localised fact-checking across diverse Indian languages.
- Community-Led Verification
Establish WhatsApp and Telegram "Fact Check Hubs" headed by expert organisations, industry experts, journalists, and digital volunteers who can report at the grassroots level fake content.
- Legal Framework for Deepfakes
Formulate targeted legislation under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant laws to make malicious deepfake and synthetic media use a criminal offense for:
- Electoral manipulation.
- Defamation.
- Financial scams.
- AI Counter-Misinformation Infrastructure
Invest in public sector AI models trained specifically to identify:
- Coordinated disinformation patterns.
- Botnet-driven hashtag campaigns.
- Real-time viral fake news bursts.
Conclusion
Mis/disinformation is more than just a content issue, it's a public health, cybersecurity, and democratic stability challenge. As India enters the digitally empowered world, making a secure, informed, and resilient information ecosystem is no longer a choice; now, it's imperative. Fighting misinformation demands a whole-of-society effort with AI innovation, public education, regulatory overhaul, and tech responsibility. The danger is there, but so is the opportunity to guide the world toward a fact-first, trust-based digital age. It's time to act.
References
- https://www.pib.gov.in/factcheck.aspx
- https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/02/Information-Technology-Intermediary-Guidelines-and-Digital-Media-Ethics-Code-Rules-2021-updated-06.04.2023-.pdf
- https://www.cyberpeace.org
- https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cezwr3d2085t
- https://www.logically.ai
- https://www.altnews.in
