#FactCheck: Viral video claims BSF personnel thrashing a person selling Bangladesh National Flag in West Bengal
Research Wing
Innovation and Research
PUBLISHED ON
Jun 23, 2025
10
Executive Summary:
A video circulating online claims to show a man being assaulted by BSF personnel in India for selling Bangladesh flags at a football stadium. The footage has stirred strong reactions and cross border concerns. However, our research confirms that the video is neither recent nor related to the incident that occurred in India. The content has been wrongly framed and shared with misleading claims, misrepresenting the actual incident.
Claim:
It is being claimed through a viral post on social media that a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier physically attacked a man in India for allegedly selling the national flag of Bangladesh in West Bengal. The viral video further implies that the incident reflects political hostility towards Bangladesh within Indian territory.
Fact Check:
After conducting thorough research, including visual verification, reverse image searching, and confirming elements in the video background, we determined that the video was filmed outside of Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the crowd buildup prior to the AFC Asian Cup. A match featuring Bangladesh against Singapore.
Second layer research confirmed that the man seen being assaulted is a local flag-seller named Hannan. There are eyewitness accounts and local news sources indicating that Bangladeshi Army officials were present to manage the crowd on the day under review. During the crowd control effort a soldier assaulted the vendor with excessive force. The incident created outrage to which the Army responded by identifying the officer responsible and taking disciplinary measures. The victim was reported to have been offered reparations for the misconduct.
Conclusion:
Our research confirms that the viral video does not depict any incident in India. The claim that a BSF officer assaulted a man for selling Bangladesh flags is completely false and misleading. The real incident occurred in Bangladesh, and involved a local army official during a football event crowd-control situation. This case highlights the importance of verifying viral content before sharing, as misinformation can lead to unnecessary panic, tension, and international misunderstanding.
Claim: Viral video claims BSF personnel thrashing a person selling Bangladesh National Flag in West Bengal
Welcome to the third edition of our blog on digital forensics series. In our previous blogwe discussed the difference between copying, cloning, and imaging in the context of Digital Forensics, and found out why imaging is a better process. Today we will discuss the process of evidence collection in Digital Forensics. The whole process starts with making sure the evidence collection team has all necessary tools required for the task.
Investigating Tools and Equipment:
Below are some mentioned tools that the team should carry with them for a successful evidence collection:
Anti-static bags
Faraday bags
Toolkit having screwdrivers(nonmagnetic), scissors, pins, cutters, forceps, clips etc.
Rubber gloves
Incident response toolkit (Software)
Converter/Adapter: USB, SATA, IDE, SCSI
Imaging software
Volatile data collection tools (FTK Imager, Magnet Forensics RAM Capture)
Pens, permanent markers
Storage containers
Batteries
Video cameras
Note/sketch pads
Blank storage media
Write-Blocker device
Labels
Crime scene security tapes
Camera
What sources of Data are necessary for Digital Evidence?
Hard-Drive (Desktop, Laptop, External, Server)
Flash Drive
SD Cards
Floppy Disks
Optical Media (CD, DVD)
CCTV/DVR
Internal Storage of Mobile Device
GPS (Mobile/Car)
Call Site Track (Towers)
RAM
Evidence Collection
The investigators encounter two primary types of evidence during the course of gathering evidence: non-electronic and electronic evidence.
The following approaches could be used to gather non-electronic evidence:
In the course of looking into electronic crimes, recovering non-electronic evidence can be extremely important. Be cautious to make sure that this kind of evidence is retrieved and kept safe. Items that may be relevant to a later review of electronic evidence include passwords, papers or printouts, calendars, literature, hardware and software manuals, text or graphical computer printouts, and photos. These items should be secured and kept for further examination.
They are frequently found close to the computer or other related hardware. Locating, securing, and preserving all evidence is required by departmental procedures.
Three scenarios arise for the collection of digital evidence from computers:
Situation 1: The desktop is visible, and the monitor is on.
Take a picture of the screen and note the data that is visible.
Utilize tools for memory capturing to gather volatile data.
Look for virtual disks. If so, gather mounted data's logical copies.
Give each port and connection a label.
Take a picture of them.
Turn off network access to stop remote access.
Cut off the power or turn it off.
Locate and disconnect the hard drive by opening the CPU chassis.
Take all evidence and place it in anti-magnetic (Faraday) bags.
Deliver the evidence to the forensic lab.
Keep the chain of custody intact.
Situation 2: The monitor is turned on, but it either has a blank screen (sleep mode) or an image for the screensaver.
Make a small mouse movement (without pressing buttons). The work product should appear on the screen, or it should ask for a password.
If moving the mouse does not result in a change to the screen, stop using the mouse and stop all keystrokes.
Take a picture of the screen and note the data that is visible.
Use memory capturing tools to gather volatile data (always use a write blocker to prevent manipulation during data collection).
Proceed further in accordance with Situation 1.
Situation 3: The Monitor Is Off
Write down the "off" status.
After turning on the monitor, check to see if its status matches that of situations 1 or 2 above, and then take the appropriate action.
Using a phone modem, cable, confirm that you are connected to the outside world. Try to find the phone number if there is a connection to the phone.
To protect evidence, take out the floppy disks that might be there, package each disk separately, and label the evidence. Put in a blank floppy disk or a seizure disk, if one is available. Avoid touching the CD drive or taking out CDs.
Cover the power connector and every drive slot with tape.
Note the serial number, make, and model.
Take a picture of the computer's connections and make a diagram with the relevant cables.
To enable precise reassembly at a later date, label all connectors and cable ends, including connections to peripheral devices. Put "unused" on any connection ports that are not in use. Recognize docking stations for laptop computers in an attempt to locate additional storage media.
All evidence should be seized and placed in anti-magnetic (Faraday) bags.
All evidence should be seized and placed in anti-magnetic (Faraday) bags.
Put a tag or label on every bag.
Deliver the evidence to the forensic lab.
Keep the chain of custody intact.
Following the effective gathering of data, the following steps in the process are crucial: data packaging, data transportation, and data storage.
The following are the steps involved in data packaging, transportation, and storage:
Packaging:
Label every computer system that is gathered so that it can be put back together exactly as it was found
When gathering evidence at a scene of crime,
Before packing, make sure that every piece of evidence has been appropriately labeled and documented.
Latent or trace evidence requires particular attention, and steps should be taken to preserve it.
Use paper or antistatic plastic bags for packing magnetic media to prevent static electricity. Do not use materials like regular plastic bags (instead use faraday bags) that can cause static electricity.
Be careful not to bend, fold, computer media like tapes, or CD-ROM.
Make sure that the labels on every container used to store evidence are correct.
Transporting
Make sure devices are not packed in containers and are safely fastened inside the car to avoid shock and excessive vibrations. Computers could be positioned on the floor of the car,and monitors could be mounted on the seat with the screen down .
When transporting evidence—
Any electronic evidence should be kept away from magnetic sources. Radiation transmitters, speaker magnets, and heated seats are a few examples of items that can contaminate electronic evidence.
Avoid leaving electronic evidence in your car for longer than necessary. Electronic devices can be harmed by extremes in temperature, humidity.
Maintain the integrity of the chain of custody while transporting any evidence.
Storing
Evidence should be kept safe and away from extremes in humidity and temperature. Keep it away from dust, moisture, magnetic devices, and other dangerous impurities. Be advised that extended storage may cause important evidence—like dates, times, and system configurations—to disappear. Because batteries have a finite lifespan, data loss may occur if they malfunction. Whenever the battery operated device needs immediate attention, it should be informed to the relevant authority (eg., the chief of laboratory, the forensic examiner, and the custodian of the evidence).
CONCLUSION:
Thus, securing the crime scene to packaging, transportation and storage of data are the important steps in the process of collecting digital evidence in forensic investigations. Keeping the authenticity during the process along with their provenance is critical during this phase. It is also important to ensure the admissibility of evidence in legal proceedings. This systematic approach is essential for effectively investigating and prosecuting digital crimes.
A video went viral on social media claiming to show a bridge collapsing in Bihar. The video prompted panic and discussions across various social media platforms. However, an exhaustive inquiry determined this was not real video but AI-generated content engineered to look like a real bridge collapse. This is a clear case of misinformation being harvested to create panic and ambiguity.
Claim:
The viral video shows a real bridge collapse in Bihar, indicating possible infrastructure failure or a recent incident in the state.
Fact Check:
Upon examination of the viral video, various visual anomalies were highlighted, such as unnatural movements, disappearing people, and unusual debris behavior which suggested the footage was generated artificially. We used Hive AI Detector for AI detection, and it confirmed this, labelling the content as 99.9% AI. It is also noted that there is the absence of realism with the environment and some abrupt animation like effects that would not typically occur in actual footage.
No valid news outlet or government agency reported a recent bridge collapse in Bihar. All these factors clearly verify that the video is made up and not real, designed to mislead viewers into thinking it was a real-life disaster, utilizing artificial intelligence.
Conclusion:
The viral video is a fake and confirmed to be AI-generated. It falsely claims to show a bridge collapsing in Bihar. This kind of video fosters misinformation and illustrates a growing concern about using AI-generated videos to mislead viewers.
Claim: A recent viral video captures a real-time bridge failure incident in Bihar. Claimed On: Social Media Fact Check: False and Misleading
A viral video circulating on social media platforms, claimed to show the final moments of an Air India flight carrying passengers inside the cabin just before it crashed near Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, is false. However, upon further research, the footage was found to originate from the Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crash that occurred in Pokhara, Nepal, on January 15, 2023. For all details, please follow the report.
Claim:
Viral videos circulating on social media claiming to show the final moments inside Air India flight AI‑171 before it crashed near Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The footage appears to have been recorded by a passenger during the flight and is being shared as real-time visuals from the recent tragedy. Many users have believed the clip to be genuine and linked it directly to the Air India incident.
Fact Check:
To confirm the validity of the video going viral depicting the alleged final moments of Air India's AI-171 that crashed near Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, we engaged in a comprehensive reverse image search and keyframe analysis then we got to know that the footage occurs back in January 2023, namely Yeti Airlines Flight 691 that crashed in Pokhara, Nepal. The visuals shared in the viral video match up, including cabin and passenger details, identically to the original livestream made by a passenger aboard the Nepal flight, confirming that the video is being reused out of context.
Moreover, well-respected and reliable news organisations, including New York Post and NDTV, have shared reports confirming that the video originated from the 2023 Nepal plane crash and has no relation to the recent Air India incident. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) also released a clarification dismissing the video as disinformation. Reliable reports from the past, visual evidence, and reverse search verification all provide complete agreement in that the viral video is falsely attributed to the AI-171 tragedy.
Conclusion:
The viral footage does not show the AI-171 crash near Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025. It is an irrelevant, previously recorded livestream from the January 2023 Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara, Nepal, falsely repurposed as breaking news. It’s essential to rely on verified and credible news agencies. Please refer to official investigation reports when discussing such sensitive events.
Claim: A dramatic clip of passengers inside a crashing plane is being falsely linked to the recent Air India tragedy in Ahmedabad.
Claimed On: Social Media
Fact Check: False and Misleading
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