#FactCheck: Scripted Video Shared as Assault on Bhelpuri Vendor at Patna Railway Station
Executive Summary
A disturbing video showing a man assaulting a bhelpuri vendor is being widely shared on social media. In the video, a man approaches the bhelpuri vendor, eats bhelpuri from his basket, spits on him and appears to assault him. Social media users are sharing the video claiming that it is from Patna and are demanding action against the man seen behaving indecently. CyberPeace Research Wing’s Research found that the video is scripted. It is being shared on social media with a misleading claim.
Claim:
A social media user shared the viral video with the caption: “A video has surfaced showing the alleged mistreatment of a young man selling bhelpuri at Patna Junction railway station. It is alleged that some people misbehaved with the vendor after eating bhelpuri and put bhelpuri into his mouth. Why should a poor, hardworking person be treated this way? The Bihar government and the concerned railway authorities should investigate the video and take appropriate action. Samrat Choudhary ji, please also look into this incident reported at Patna railway station.”
https://www.facebook.com/reel/29198229276436585
Fact Check
To verify the truth behind the video being shared with the claim that a bhelpuri vendor was assaulted, we conducted a reverse image search of its keyframes. During the search, we found a video uploaded on September 18 on the Facebook account of a user identified as Sonu Paswan. The person seen assaulting the vendor in the viral clip can also be seen in this video. In the video, he explains that the viral clip was scripted and was recorded solely for entertainment purposes. He appeals to people not to take the video seriously or share it further. He also says that after the video went viral, he had to delete several videos, due to which much of his effort went to waste.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2161698368111775
Additionally, upon examining Sonu Paswan’s Facebook account, we found several other videos in which the same two men seen in the viral video can be seen acting together in different situations.
Additionally, we found a video uploaded on Sonu Paswan’s Instagram account on September 18. In the video, he explains that the person selling bhelpuri/bhujia in the viral clip is Sonu Kumar, while the person seen assaulting him is a member of their team. Sonu Kumar says in the video that they work together to create videos on poverty and emotional issues. He also appeals to people to watch the viral clip as entertainment and not share it further. This makes it clear that the viral video is scripted.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Dda41TdzMxO/
Conclusion
Our Research found that the video being shared with the claim that a bhelpuri vendor was assaulted and mistreated at Patna railway station is scripted.
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Introduction
AI-generated fake videos are proliferating on the Internet indeed becoming more common by the day. There is a use of sophisticated AI algorithms that help manipulate or generate multimedia content such as videos, audio, and images. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine, altered, or fake content, and these AI-manipulated videos look realistic. A recent study has shown that 98% of deepfake-generated videos have adult content featuring young girls, women, and children, with India ranking 6th among the nations that suffer from misuse of deepfake technology. This practice has dangerous consequences and could harm an individual's reputation, and criminals could use this technology to create a false narrative about a candidate or a political party during elections.
The working of deepfake videos is based on algorithms that refine the fake content, and the generators are built and trained in such a way as to get the desired output. The process is repeated several times, allowing the generator to improve the content until it seems realistic, making it more flawless. Deepfake videos are created by specific approaches some of them are: -
- Lip syncing: This is the most common technique used in deepfake. Here, the voice recordings of the video, make it appear as to what was originally said by the person appearing in the video.
- Audio deepfake: For Audio-generated deepfake, a generative adversarial network (GAN) is used to colon a person’s voice, based on the vocal patterns and refine it till the desired output is generated.
- Deepfake has become so serious that the technology could be used by bad actors or by cyber-terrorist squads to set their Geo-political agendas. Looking at the present situation in the past few the number of cases has just doubled, targeting children, women and popular faces.
- Greater Risk: in the last few years the cases of deep fake have risen. by the end of the year 2022, the number of cases has risen to 96% against women and children according to a survey.
- Every 60 seconds, a deepfake pornographic video is created, now quicker and more affordable than ever, it takes less than 25 minutes and costs using just one clean face image.
- The connection to deepfakes is that people can become targets of "revenge porn" without the publisher having sexually explicit photographs or films of the victim. They may be made using any number of random pictures or images collected from the internet to obtain the same result. This means that almost everyone who has taken a selfie or shared a photograph of oneself online faces the possibility of a deepfake being constructed in their image.
Deepfake-related security concerns
As deepfakes proliferate, more people are realising that they can be used not only to create non-consensual porn but also as part of disinformation and fake news campaigns with the potential to sway elections and rekindle frozen or low-intensity conflicts.
Deepfakes have three security implications: at the international level, strategic deepfakes have the potential to destroy precarious peace; at the national level, deepfakes may be used to unduly influence elections, and the political process, or discredit opposition, which is a national security concern, and at the personal level, the scope for using Women suffer disproportionately from exposure to sexually explicit content as compared to males, and they are more frequently threatened.
Policy Consideration
Looking at the present situation where the cases of deepfake are on the rise against women and children, the policymakers need to be aware that deepfakes are utilized for a variety of valid objectives, including artistic and satirical works, which policymakers should be aware of. Therefore, simply banning deepfakes is not a way consistent with fundamental liberties. One conceivable legislative option is to require a content warning or disclaimer. Deepfake is an advanced technology and misuse of deepfake technology is a crime.
What are the existing rules to combat deepfakes?
It's worth noting that both the IT Act of 2000 and the IT Rules of 2021 require social media intermediaries to remove deep-fake videos or images as soon as feasible. Failure to follow these guidelines can result in up to three years in jail and a Rs 1 lakh fine. Rule 3(1)(b)(vii) requires social media intermediaries to guarantee that its users do not host content that impersonates another person, and Rule 3(2)(b) requires such content to be withdrawn within 24 hours of receiving a complaint. Furthermore, the government has stipulated that any post must be removed within 36 hours of being published online. Recently government has also issued an advisory to social media intermediaries to identify misinformation and deepfakes.
Conclusion
It is important to foster ethical and responsible consumption of technology. This can only be achieved by creating standards for both the creators and users, educating individuals about content limits, and providing information. Internet-based platforms should also devise techniques to deter the uploading of inappropriate information. We can reduce the negative and misleading impacts of deepfakes by collaborating and ensuring technology can be used in a better manner.
References
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/parenting/moments/how-social-media-scandals-like-deepfake-impact-minors-and-students-mental-health/articleshow/105168380.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.aa.com.tr/en/science-technology/deepfake-technology-putting-children-at-risk-say-experts/2980880
- https://wiisglobal.org/deepfakes-as-a-security-issue-why-gender-matters/
Executive Summary:
A viral video showing flames and thick smoke from large fuel tanks has been shared widely on social media. Many claimed it showed a recent Russian missile attack on a fuel depot in Ukraine. However, our research found that the video is not related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It actually shows a fire that happened at Al Hamriyah Port in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on May 31, 2025. The confusion was likely caused by a lack of context and misleading captions.
Claim:
The circulating claim suggests that Russia deliberately bombed Ukraine's fuel reserves and the viral video shows evidence of the bombing. The posts claim the fuel depot was destroyed purposefully during military operations, implying an increase in violence. This narrative is intended to generate feelings and reinforce fears related to war.
Fact Check:
After doing a reverse image search of the key frames of the viral video, we found that the video is actually from Al Hamriyah Port, UAE, not from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. During further research we found the same visuals were also published by regional news outlets in the UAE, including Gulf News and Khaleej Times, which reported on a massive fire at Al Hamriyah Port on 31 May 2025.
As per the news report, a fire broke out at a fuel storage facility in Al Hamriyah Port, UAE. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Fire Management Services responded promptly and successfully brought the situation under control.
Conclusion:
The belief that the viral video is evidence of a Russian strike in Ukraine is misleading and incorrect. The video is actually of a fire at a commercial port in the UAE. When you share misleading footage like that, you distort reality and incite fear based on lies. It is simply a reminder that not all viral media is what it appears to be, and every viewer should take the time to check and verify the content source and context before accepting or reposting. In this instance, the original claim is untrue and misleading.
- Claim: Fresh attack in Ukraine! Russian military strikes again!
- Claimed On: Social Media
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
Executive Summary:
A photo is being circulated on social media with the claim that it shows Ram Prakash, an official from the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK), participating in a protest organised over issues related to PoK. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the claim associated with the image to be false. The research confirmed that the image was digitally modified using OpenAI’s AI tools.
Claim:
A user on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) shared the viral image on August 4, 2026, claiming that Shri Ram Prakash, an official from the Indian High Commission in London, was seen formally participating in a protest organised by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The post link, archive link, and screenshot are provided below:
https://x.com/i/birdwatch/t/2084551118189904105?source=6
Fact Check:
During the research, we conducted a Google search using relevant keywords. We traced the original source of the viral visual to a social media post shared by Pakistani media outlet GEO News’ UK Bureau Chief Murtaza Ali Shah on August 2, 2024.
The post featured a video of a protest held in Luton, United Kingdom, where a large number of British Kashmiris were seen marching to express concerns over the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). At the time, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was leading a prolonged protest in the region.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1383400640416385
At the 1:23 mark of the video shared by the Pakistani journalist, we found the same scene that appears in the viral image. However, the individual seen in the viral image does not appear in the original footage. Instead, the video shows a different person participating in the protest.
To further verify the authenticity of the image, we analysed it using multiple AI detection tools, including OpenAI’s image detection tool. The analysis detected provenance signals associated with OpenAI tools such as ChatGPT, OpenAI API, or Codex. These signals indicate that the image was created or modified using OpenAI’s AI tools.
Conclusion:
The research established that the viral image has been manipulated to falsely portray Indian High Commission official Ram Prakash as a participant in the protest. The original footage shows a different individual, while AI analysis confirmed that the image was modified using OpenAI tools. Therefore, the claim circulating with the image is misleading.
