#FactCheck: Digitally Manipulated Video of Salman Khan, Rahul Gandhi, and Vijay
Executive Summary
A video is being widely shared on social media, allegedly showing Bollywood superstar Salman Khan alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, also known simply as Vijay. CyberPeace Research Wing Research Wing researched the viral picture/image and found that it was AI-generated and digitally manipulated. ClaimA user on social media shared a picture featuring Rahul Gandhi, Salman Khan, and CM Vijay together. The link and screenshot of the post are given below:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2460733931107405
https://archive.is/0ji8e
Factcheck
A reverse image search of several key frames of the video, along with searches using relevant keywords, yielded no reliable evidence supporting this claim. We found no verified video, official social media post, or credible media report showing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Salman Khan, and Vijay together as depicted in the viral clip. None of the individuals seen in the video have shared this clip on their verified social media accounts. A frame-by-frame analysis also revealed several clear signs of AI manipulation. These include unnatural facial expressions, improper lip-syncing, unnatural body movements, inconsistencies in body proportions, and irregularities in lighting and shadows. The background of the video also appears excessively smooth and lacks realistic depth and texture. To further verify the claim, we analyzed the video using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation. The tool categorized the video as AI-generated with a high probability score, providing additional proof that the viral footage has been digitally created.
Conclusion
We researched the viral picture/image and found that it was AI-generated and digitally manipulated.
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Executive Summary
Several social media users shared an India Today news clipping showing an exclusive interaction between senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam. In the purported conversation, Anam was heard claiming that India’s intelligence agency RAW was trying to prevent Bangladesh from joining the Mecca Pact. He was also allegedly heard saying that New Delhi was promoting an alternative defence pact with Bangladesh involving a Middle Eastern country and Israel. However, the CyberPeace Research Wing found that the viral video had been digitally manipulated using AI-generated audio. The original video, uploaded by India Today, showed Anam in conversation with Sardesai in 2024, discussing Bangladesh’s July uprising and the developments that followed.
Claim
A Facebook page, ‘MatriX MojtabA’, shared an India Today news clipping on August 12 showing senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai interviewing Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam. In the purported conversation, Anam was heard saying that RAW was trying to prevent Bangladesh from joining the Mecca Pact. He was also allegedly heard claiming that New Delhi was promoting an alternative defence pact with Bangladesh involving a Middle Eastern country and Israel.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1804199927691664/
Fact Check
Based on the clue that the viral clip was taken from an exclusive conversation between Mahfuz Anam and India Today, the Desk conducted a customised keyword search on Google. The search led to an extended version of the same interaction uploaded on India Today’s official YouTube channel. The Desk identified the original footage by comparing the background setting and the clothes worn by both Sardesai and Anam, which appeared identical in the viral and original clips. However, an analysis of the original video established that it was an old recording from August 2024. The video showed Anam and Sardesai discussing Bangladesh’s July 2024 uprising and the developments that followed. The Desk analysed the complete 14-minute-and-three-second video and found that Anam did not mention RAW or the Mecca Pact anywhere in the interaction. The Mecca Pact was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on August 7, 2026. This established that the statement attributed to Anam in the viral video was not part of the original conversation and had been digitally manipulated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEoyTkOZ8xE
Further, after finding indications that the audio in the viral clip may have been AI-generated, the Desk extracted the audio from the video and analysed it using Resemble AI, an AI audio detection tool. The analysis indicated that the audio was AI-generated and did not contain Mahfuz Anam’s original statement.
Conclusion
The viral video showing Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam purportedly claiming that India’s RAW was trying to prevent Bangladesh from joining the Mecca Pact is digitally manipulated. The audio in the viral clip was replaced with AI-generated audio to attribute a false statement to Anam. The original India Today video, recorded in 2024, shows Anam speaking with Rajdeep Sardesai about Bangladesh’s July uprising and the developments that followed. He does not make any remarks about RAW, the Mecca Pact or an alternative defence pact involving India, a Middle Eastern country and Israel.
Executive Summary
A photograph circulating widely on social media has been falsely linked to the reported hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in May 2026. The image is being shared with claims that it shows a cameraman filming evacuation operations without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), suggesting that the global health scare was staged. However, the claim is misleading. The viral image has no connection to the hantavirus outbreak or any real evacuation related to the incident. research found that the photograph actually originates from a Spanish military exercise conducted a year earlier.
Claim
A post on X dated May 13, 2026, shared the image with the caption, “Don’t be fooled! The #Hantavirus HOAX,” alleging that the evacuations were staged events filmed from a movie set. The image shows several individuals in full personal protective equipment (PPE) carrying a patient on a biocontainment stretcher across a dock in front of a large vessel. A cameraman, dressed in plain clothes, is seen descending a ramp connected to the ship while apparently recording the scene.
Fact Check
The image went viral across X, Threads and Instagram in multiple languages, with users claiming the hantavirus outbreak was a “hoax” or that evacuation operations were staged. These posts emerged as authorities were monitoring passengers aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius and others potentially exposed to the virus following reports of an outbreak during its Atlantic voyage.
Health officials have repeatedly stressed that the overall public health risk from the Andes strain of hantavirus remains low. It is a rare rodent-borne virus and the only variant known to transmit between humans.
Reverse image search traced the photograph to the official website of the Port of Almería in Spain, where it was published in a May 7, 2025 article documenting an international maritime exercise involving the Spanish Navy and the health ministry.
The exercise simulated the arrival of a vessel carrying suspected Ebola cases. Ebola is a rare but highly lethal disease that can cause fever, bleeding and organ failure.
Conclusion
The viral claim is false. The photograph has no connection to the reported hantavirus outbreak. It is from a Spanish military exercise conducted in 2025 and is being falsely shared out of context.
On the occasion of 20th edition of Safer Internet Day 2023, CyberPeace in collaboration with UNICEF, DELNET, NCERT, and The National Book Trust (NBT), India, took steps towards safer cyberspace by launching iSafe Multimedia Resources, CyberPeace TV, and CyberPeace Café in an event held today in Delhi.
CyberPeace also showcased its efforts, in partnership with UNICEF, to create a secure and peaceful online world through its Project iSafe, which aims to bridge the knowledge gap between emerging advancements in cybersecurity and first responders. Through Project iSafe, CyberPeace has successfully raised awareness among law enforcement agencies, education departments, and frontline workers across various fields. The event marked a significant milestone in the efforts of the foundation to create a secure and peaceful online environment for everyone.
Launching the Cyberpeace TV, café and isafe material , National Cybersecurity coordinator of Govt of India, Lt Gen Rajesh Pant interacts with the students by introducing them with the theme of this safer internet day. He launched the coword cyber challenge initiative by the countries. Content is most important in cyberspace. He also assured everyone that the government of India is taking a lot of steps at national level to make cyber space safer. He compliments CPF for their initiatives.
Ms. Zafrin Chaudhry, Chief of Communication, UNICEF addresses students with the facts that children make out 1 out of 3 in cyberspace, so they should have a safe cyberspace. They should be informed and equipped with all the information on how to deal with any kind of issues they face in cyberspace. They should share their experience with everyone to make others aware. UNICEF in partnership with CPF is extending help to children to equip them with the help and information.
Major Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President of CPF welcomed all and introduced us about the launching of iSafe Multimedia Resources, CyberPeace TV, and CyberPeace Café . With this launch he threw some light on upcoming plans like launching a learning module of metaverse with AR and VR. He wants to make cyberspace safe even in tier 3 cities that’s why he established the first cybercafé in Ranchi.
As the internet plays a crucial role in our lives, CyberPeace has taken action to combat potential cyber threats. They introduced CyberPeace TV, the world’s first multilingual TV Channel on Jio TV focusing on Education and Entertainment, a comprehensive online platform that provides the latest in cybersecurity news, expert analysis, and a community for all stakeholders in the field. CyberPeace also launched its first CyberPeace Café for creators and innovators and released the iSafe Multimedia resource containing Flyers, Posters, E hand book and handbook on digital safety for children developed jointly by CyberPeace, UNICEF and NCERT for the public.
O.P. Singh, Former DGP, UP Police & CEO Kailash Satyarthi foundation, , started with the data of internet users in India. The Internet is used in day-to -day activities nowadays and primarily in social media. Students should have a channelized approach to cyberspace like fixed screen time, information to the right content, and usage of the internet. I really appreciate the initiates that CyberPeace is taking in this direction.
The celebration continued by iSafe Panel Discussion on “Creating Safer Cyberspace for Children.” The discussion was moderated by Dr. Sangeeta Kaul, Director of DELNET, and was attended by panellists Mr. Rakesh Maheshwari from MeitY(Ministry of electronics and information Technology, Govt. of India), Dr. Indu Kumar from CIET-NCERT, Ms. Bindu Sharma from ICMEC, and Major Vineet Kumar from CyberPeace.
The event was also graced by professional artists from the National School of Drama, who performed Nukkad Natak and Qawwali based on cyber security themes. Students from SRDAV school also entertained the audience with their performances. The attendees were also given a platform to share their experiences with online security issues, and ICT Awardees, Parents and iSafe Champions shared their insights with the guests. The event also had stalls by CyberPeace Corps, a Global volunteer initiative, and CIET-NCERT for students to explore and join the cause. The event’s highlight was the 360 Selfie Booth, where attendees lined up to have their turn.
