#FactCheck-AI-Generated Newspaper Clipping Falsely Claims Salman Khan Was Injured in Firing Incident Introduction
Executive Summary
A newspaper clipping is being widely shared on social media with the claim that more than 200 bullets were fired at actor Salman Khan’s vehicle, two of which allegedly hit him and left him seriously injured. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the viral claim to be false. The research revealed that Salman Khan is safe and healthy, and there is no credible information confirming any such firing incident. The probe further found that the alleged newspaper clipping circulating on social media was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Claim
An Instagram user shared the viral newspaper clipping on July 11, 2026, claiming that more than 200 bullets were fired at Salman Khan’s vehicle, two bullets hit him, and he was seriously injured.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaqNtAfSGyI/
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/81qpF
Fact Check
To verify the viral claim, we conducted a keyword-based search on Google. However, we did not find any credible media report confirming that Salman Khan was injured in any such firing incident.
During further research, we found a report published by Dainik Bhaskar on July 11, 2026. According to the report, actor Salman Khan sold another apartment located in Bandra, Mumbai. The report did not mention any incident involving an attack or injury.
In the next step of the research, we analysed the viral newspaper clipping using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation. The tool’s analysis indicated an 80% probability that the newspaper clipping was AI-generated.
For further verification, the viral image was also checked using another AI detection tool, Sightengine. The tool’s result showed a 99% probability that the image was AI-generated.
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral claim is false. There is no evidence that actor Salman Khan was injured in a firing incident or that more than 200 bullets were fired at his vehicle. The alleged newspaper clipping being circulated on social media was found to be AI-generated and is being shared with a false narrative
Related Blogs
Executive Summary
Large-scale protests have been taking place in France over the past few weeks. The protests initially began against rising inflation and increasing fuel prices. They later turned violent, with incidents of vandalism reported in several places. Amid this, a video is being shared on social media with the claim that several police officers can be seen pointing guns at a woman. Moments later, the officers shoot the woman. It is being claimed that the woman was participating in the protests in France and was shot by the police. CyberPeace Research found that the incident actually took place in Brazil, where police officers shot a woman who was approaching them with a knife.
Claim
Sharing the video on X, a user wrote: “A leftist was protesting in France. She also wanted a regime change. The police administration carried out a coup against this woman herself, but Modi is the dictator.”
https://x.com/PoojaHindu50/status/2111970585626497490
Fact Check
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the video led us to a video report published by Brazilian media outlet Cidade Alerta. Published on October 16, the report features the viral video as well as CCTV footage of the incident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNVMTw_ECbo&t=61s
According to the report, the incident took place in São Paulo, Brazil. The woman seen in the video was identified as Camila Pereira. She was reportedly approaching the police officers while carrying a sharp knife. The police repeatedly asked her to put the weapon down, but she continued moving towards them. One of the police officers then shot her. The woman died in the incident. As the next step in our research, we found the same video on a YouTube channel named g1. The video also identified the incident as having taken place in São Paulo, Brazil, and stated that the woman was mentally unwell.
At the end of our research, we found a report by the New York Post stating that a police officer was arrested in connection with the incident. However, he was later released on bail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnGn75ipR0Y
Conclusion
Our research found that the incident took place in Brazil, where police officers shot a woman who was approaching them with a knife.
Overview:
It is worth stating that millions of Windows users around the world are facing the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) problem that makes systems shutdown or restart. This has been attributed to a CrowdStrike update that was released recently and has impacted many organizations, financial institutions, and government agencies across the globe. Indian airlines have also reported disruptions on X (formerly Twitter), informing passengers about the issue.
Understanding Blue Screen of Death:
Blue Screen errors, also known as black screen errors or STOP code errors, can occur due to critical issues forcing Windows to shut down or restart. You may encounter messages like "Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." These errors can be caused by hardware or software problems.
Impact on Industries
Some of the large U. S. airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines had to issue ground stops because of communication problems. Also, several airports on Friday suffered a massive technical issue in check-in kiosks for IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Air India Express.
The Widespread Issue
The issue seems widespread and is causing disruption across the board as Windows PCs are deployed at workplaces and other public entities like airlines, banks, and even media companies. It has been pointed out that Windows PCs use a special cybersecurity solution from a company called CrowdStrike that seems to be the culprit for this outage, affecting most Windows PC users out there.
Microsoft's Response
The issue was acknowledged by Microsoft and the mitigations are underway. The company in its verified X handle Microsoft 365 status has shared a series information on the latest outage and they are looking into the matter. The issue is under investigation.
In one of the posts from Microsoft Azure, it is mentioned that they have become aware of an issue affecting Virtual Machines (VMs) running Windows Client and Windows Server with the CrowdStrike Falcon agent installed. These VMs may encounter a bug check (BSOD) and become stuck in a restarting state. Their analysis indicates that this issue started approximately at 19:00 UTC on July 18th. They have provided recommendations as follows:
Restore from Backup: In case customers have available backups prior to 19:00 UTC on July 18th, they should recover VM data from the backups. If the customer is using Azure Backup, they can get exact steps on how to restore VM data in the Azure portal. here.
Offline OS Disk Repair: Alternatively, customers can attempt offline repair of the OS disk by attaching an unmanaged disk to the affected VM. Encrypted disks may require additional steps to unlock before repair. Once attached, delete the following file:
Windows/System/System32/Drivers/CrowdStrike/C00000291*.sys
After deletion, reattach the disk to the original VM.
Microsoft Azure is actively investigating additional mitigation options for affected customers. We will provide updates as we gather more information.
Resolving Blue Screen Errors in Windows
Windows 11 & Windows 10:
Blue Screen errors can stem from both hardware and software issues. If new hardware was added before the error, try removing it and restarting your PC. If restarting is difficult, start your PC in Safe Mode.
To Start in Safe Mode:
From Settings:
Open Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
Under "Advanced startup," select Restart now.
After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
After your PC restarts, you'll see a list of options. Select 4 or press F4 to start in Safe Mode. If you need to use the internet, select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
From the Sign-in Screen:
Restart your PC. When you get to the sign-in screen, hold the Shift key down while you select Power > Restart.
After your PC restarts, follow the steps above.
From a Black or Blank Screen:
Press the power button to turn off your device, then turn it back on. Repeat this two more times.
After the third time, your device will start in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
From the Choose an option screen, follow the steps to enter Safe Mode.
Additional Help:
Windows Update: Ensure your system has the latest patches.
Blue Screen Troubleshooter: In Windows, open Get Help, type Troubleshoot BSOD error, and follow the guided walkthrough.
Online Troubleshooting: Visit Microsoft's support page and follow the recommendations under "Recommended Help."
If none of those steps help to resolve your Blue Screen error, please try the Blue Screen Troubleshooter in the Get Help app:
- In Windows, open Get Help.
- In the Get Help app, type Troubleshoot BSOD error.
- Follow the guided walkthrough in the Get Help app.
[Note: If you're not on a Windows device, you can run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter on your browser by going to Contact Microsoft Support and typing Troubleshoot BSOD error. Then follow the guided walkthrough under "Recommended Help."]
For detailed steps and further assistance, please refer to the Microsoft support portal or contact their support team.
CrowdStrike’s Response:
In the statement given by CrowdStrike, they have clearly mentioned it is not any cyberattack and their resources are working to fix the issue on Windows. Further, they have identified the deployment issue and fixed the same. Crowdstrike mentions about their problematic versions as follows:
- “Channel file "C-00000291*.sys" with timestamp of 0527 UTC or later is the reverted (good) version.
- Channel file "C-00000291*.sys" with timestamp of 0409 UTC is the problematic version.
Note: It is normal for multiple "C-00000291*.sys files to be present in the CrowdStrike directory - as long as one of the files in the folder has a timestamp of 0527 UTC or later, that will be the active content.”
The CrowdStrike will be providing latest updates on the same and advises their customers and organizations to contact their officials officially to get latest updates and accurate information. It is encouraged to refer to customer’s support portal for further help.
Stay safe and ensure regular backups to mitigate the impact of such issues.
References:
https://status.cloud.microsoft/
https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/statement-on-falcon-content-update-for-windows-hosts/
Introduction
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently released the IT Intermediary Guidelines 2023 Amendment for social media and online gaming. The notification is crucial when the Digital India Bill’s drafting is underway. There is no denying that this bill, part of a series of bills focused on amendments and adding new provisions, will significantly improve the dynamics of Cyberspace in India in terms of reporting, grievance redressal, accountability and protection of digital rights and duties.
What is the Amendment?
The amendment comes as a key feature of cyberspace as the bill introduces fact-checking, a crucial aspect of relating information on various platforms prevailing in cyberspace. Misformation and disinformation were seen rising significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and fact-checking was more important than ever. This has been taken into consideration by the policymakers and hence has been incorporated as part of the Intermediary guidelines. The key features of the guidelines are as follows –
- The phrase “online game,” which is now defined as “a game that is offered on the Internet and is accessible by a user through a computer resource or an intermediary,” has been added.
- A clause has been added that emphasises that if an online game poses a risk of harm to the user, intermediaries and complaint-handling systems must advise the user not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update, or share any data related to that risky online game.
- A proviso to Rule 3(1)(f) has been added, which states that if an online gaming intermediary has provided users access to any legal online real money game, it must promptly notify its users of the change, within 24 hours.
- Sub-rules have been added to Rule 4 that focus on any legal online real money game and require large social media intermediaries to exercise further due diligence. In certain situations, online gaming intermediaries:
- Are required to display a demonstrable and obvious mark of verification of such online game by an online gaming self-regulatory organisation on such permitted online real money game
- Will not offer to finance themselves or allow financing to be provided by a third party.
- Verification of real money online gaming has been added to Rule 4-A.
- The Ministry may name as many self-regulatory organisations for online gaming as it deems necessary for confirming an online real-money game.
- Each online gaming self-regulatory body will prominently publish on its website/mobile application the procedure for filing complaints and the appropriate contact information.
- After reviewing an application, the self-regulatory authority may declare a real money online game to be a legal game if it is satisfied that:
- There is no wagering on the outcome of the game.
- Complies with the regulations governing the legal age at which a person can engage into a contract.
- The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 have a new rule 4-B (Applicability of certain obligations after an initial period) that states that the obligations of the rule under rules 3 and 4 will only apply to online games after a three-month period has passed.
- According to Rule 4-C (Obligations in Relation to Online Games Other Than Online Real Money Games), the Central Government may direct the intermediary to make necessary modifications without affecting the main idea if it deems it necessary in the interest of India’s sovereignty and integrity, the security of the State, or friendship with foreign States.
- Intermediaries, such as social media companies or internet service providers, will have to take action against such content identified by this unit or risk losing their “safe harbour” protections under Section 79 of the IT Act, which let intermediaries escape liability for what third parties post on their websites. This is problematic and unacceptable. Additionally, these notified revisions can circumvent the takedown order process described in Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000. They also violated the ruling in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), which established precise rules for content banning.
- The government cannot decide if any material is “fake” or “false” without a right of appeal or the ability for judicial monitoring since the power to do so could be abused to thwart examination or investigation by media groups. Government takedown orders have been issued for critical remarks or opinions posted on social media sites; most of the platforms have to abide by them, and just a few, like Twitter, have challenged them in court.
Conclusion
The new rules briefly cover the aspects of fact-checking, content takedown by Govt, and the relevance and scope of sections 69A and 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Hence, it is pertinent that the intermediaries maintain compliance with rules to ensure that the regulations are sustainable and efficient for the future. Despite these rules, the responsibility of the netizens cannot be neglected, and hence active civic participation coupled with such efficient regulations will go a long way in safeguarding the Indian cyber ecosystem.
