#FactCheck - Gorakhpur Holika Dahan Video Shared With False Claim About Delhi Murder
Executive Summary
A dispute over water balloons on the day of Holi in the Uttam Nagar area of Delhi reportedly turned violent, resulting in the brutal murder of a young man named Tarun Khatik. Following the incident, a video is being widely shared on social media and linked to the murder case. In the viral video, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, can be seen walking alongside Ravi Kishan, Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur. People standing along the route are seen showering flowers on them. Several users claim that the video shows the chief minister visiting the house of Tarun Khatik to meet his family.
However, research by CyberPeace found the viral claim to be misleading. Our research revealed that the video has no connection to the Tarun Khatik murder case. In fact, the video is from a Holika Dahan celebration held in Gorakhpur, which is now being shared on social media with a misleading claim.
Claim Post:
An Instagram user shared the viral video on March 10, 2026, writing: “Tarun bhai ko insaaf dilane ke liye aage aaye maananiya mukhyamantri Shri Yogi Adityanath ji.”
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we extracted several key frames from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the search, we found the same video posted on a Facebook account on March 2, 2026.
According to the caption of the Facebook post, the video shows a grand procession organised by the Shri Shri Holika Dahan Utsav Samiti, Pandeyhata in Gorakhpur. Yogi Adityanath attended the procession and was seen celebrating Holi with people by playing with flowers and coloured powder. During the procession, flower petals were showered on devotees, and the entire area witnessed a festive atmosphere filled with colours, devotion, and enthusiasm. A large number of people participated in the celebration, and the festival was celebrated with traditional drums and music. During further research, we also found images related to the viral video on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Ravi Kishan. These images were shared on March 2, 2026, and the caption confirmed that they were taken during the Holika Dahan celebration in Gorakhpur.
At the end of the research, we also found the same video uploaded on March 3, 2026 on the Instagram page Local News Gorakhpur. According to the information in the post, Yogi Adityanath and several other leaders participated in the grand procession organised by the Shri Shri Holika Dahan Utsav Samiti, Pandeyhata. People celebrated Holi with flowers and coloured powder during the event.
Conclusion:
Our research found that the viral video has no connection with the Tarun Khatik murder case in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. The video actually shows Yogi Adityanath participating in a Holika Dahan celebration in Gorakhpur. Therefore, the video is being shared on social media with a misleading claim.
Related Blogs
A news graphic bearing the Navbharat Times logo is being widely circulated on social media. The graphic claims that religious preacher Devkinandan Thakur made an extremely offensive and casteist remark targeting the ‘Shudra’ community. Social media users are sharing the graphic and claiming that the statement was actually made by Devkinandan Thakur. Cyber Peace Foundation’s research and verification found that the claim being shared online is misleading. Our research found that the viral news graphic is completely fake and that Devkinandan Thakur did not make any such casteist statement.
Claim
A viral news graphic claims that Devkinandan Thakur made a derogatory and caste-based statement about Shudras.On 17 January 2026, an Instagram user shared the viral graphic with the caption, “This is probably the formula of Ram Rajya.”The text on the graphic reads: “People of Shudra castes reproduce through sexual intercourse, whereas Brahmins give birth to children after marriage through the power of their mantras, without intercourse.” The graphic also carries Devkinandan Thakur’s photograph and identifies him as a ‘Kathavachak’ (religious storyteller).
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we first searched for relevant keywords on Google. However, no credible or verified media reports were found supporting the claim. In the next stage of verification, we found a post published by NBT Hindi News (Navbharat Times) on X (formerly Twitter) on 17 January 2026, in which the organisation explicitly debunked the viral graphic. Navbharat Times clarified that the graphic circulating online was fake and also shared the original and authentic post related to the news.
Further research led us to Devkinandan Thakur’s official Facebook account, where he posted a clarification on 17 January 2026. In his post, he stated that anti-social elements are creating fake ‘Sanatani’ profiles and spreading false news, misusing the names of reputed media houses and platforms to mislead and divide people. He described the viral content as part of a deliberate conspiracy and fake agenda aimed at weakening unity. He also warned that AI-generated fake videos and fabricated statements are increasingly being used to create confusion, mistrust and division.
Devkinandan Thakur urged people not to believe or share any post, news or video without verification, and advised checking information through official websites, verified social media accounts or trusted sources.
Conclusion
The viral news graphic attributing a casteist statement to Devkinandan Thakur is completely fake.Devkinandan Thakur did not make the alleged remark, and the graphic circulating with the Navbharat Times logo is fabricated.
A report by MarketsandMarkets in 2024 showed that the global AI market size is estimated to grow from USD 214.6 billion in 2024 to USD 1,339.1 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 35.7%. AI has become an enabler of productivity and innovation. A Forbes Advisor survey conducted in 2023 reported that 56% of businesses use AI to optimise their operations and drive efficiency. Further, 51% use AI for cybersecurity and fraud management, 47% employ AI-powered digital assistants to enhance productivity and 46% use AI to manage customer relationships.
AI has revolutionised business functions. According to a Forbes survey, 40% of businesses rely on AI for inventory management, 35% harness AI for content production and optimisation and 33% deploy AI-driven product recommendation systems for enhanced customer engagement. This blog addresses the opportunities and challenges posed by integrating AI into operational efficiency.
Artificial Intelligence and its resultant Operational Efficiency
AI has exemplary optimisation or efficiency capabilities and is widely used to do repetitive tasks. These tasks include payroll processing, data entry, inventory management, patient registration, invoicing, claims processing, and others. AI use has been incorporated into such tasks as it can uncover complex patterns using NLP, machine learning, and deep learning beyond human capabilities. It has also shown promise in improving the decision-making process for businesses in time-critical, high-pressure situations.
AI-driven efficiency is visible in industries such as the manufacturing industry for predictive maintenance, in the healthcare industry for streamlining diagnostics and in logistics for route optimisation. Some of the most common real-world examples of AI increasing operational efficiency are self-driving cars (Tesla), facial recognition (Apple Face ID), language translation (Google Translate), and medical diagnosis (IBM Watson Health)
Harnessing AI has advantages as it helps optimise the supply chain, extend product life cycles, and ultimately conserve resources and cut operational costs.
Policy Implications for AI Deployment
Some of the policy implications for development for AI deployment are as follows:
- Develop clear and adaptable regulatory frameworks for the ongoing and future developments in AI. The frameworks need to ensure that innovation is not hindered while managing the potential risks.
- As AI systems rely on high-quality data that is accessible and interoperable to function effectively and without proper data governance, these systems may produce results that are biased, inaccurate and unreliable. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure data privacy as it is essential to maintain trust and prevent harm to individuals and organisations.
- Policy developers need to focus on creating policies that upskill the workforce which complements AI development and therefore job displacement.
- To ensure cross-border applicability and efficiency of standardising AI policies, the policy-makers need to ensure that international cooperation is achieved when developing the policies.
Addressing Challenges and Risks
Some of the main challenges that emerge with the development of AI are algorithmic bias, cybersecurity threats and the dependence on exclusive AI solutions or where the company retains exclusive control over the source codes. Some policy approaches that can be taken to mitigate these challenges are:
- Having a robust accountability mechanism.
- Establishing identity and access management policies that have technical controls like authentication and authorisation mechanisms.
- Ensure that the learning data that AI systems use follows ethical considerations such as data privacy, fairness in decision-making, transparency, and the interpretability of AI models.
Conclusion
AI can contribute and provide opportunities to drive operational efficiency in businesses. It can be an optimiser for productivity and costs and foster innovation for different industries. But this power of AI comes with its own considerations and therefore, it must be balanced with proactive policies that address the challenges that emerge such as the need for data governance, algorithmic bias and risks associated with cybersecurity. A solution to overcome these challenges is establishing an adaptable regulatory framework, fostering workforce upskilling and promoting international collaborations. As businesses integrate AI into core functions, it becomes necessary to leverage its potential while safeguarding fairness, transparency, and trust. AI is not just an efficiency tool, it has become a stimulant for organisations operating in a rapidly evolving digital world.
References
- https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-indian-businesses-long-term-gain-operational-efficiency-9717072/
- https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artificial-intelligence-market-74851580.html
- https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/08/06/smart-automation-ais-impact-on-operational-efficiency/
- https://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/ai/articles/ai-operational-excellence
- https://www.leewayhertz.com/ai-for-operational-efficiency/
- https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/11/04/bringing-ai-to-the-enterprise-challenges-and-considerations/
Introduction
In the dynamic realm of online gaming, where virtual worlds and competitive landscapes converge, ensuring the safety of players has become an imperative task. As the digital gaming community expands, so do the challenges of navigating potential risks and threats. There is a need for crucial strategies and measures aimed at safeguarding players and fostering a secure environment where gamers can fully immerse themselves in their passion without compromising their well-being. Online gaming, a thriving industry, makes gamers attractive targets for cyber theft, including account takeovers (ATO). ATO involves stealing characters, inventory, in-game currencies, achievements, and skins, with high-level accounts as prime targets. Gamers face real-life consequences as fraud within games can compromise personal information, including location, credentials, credit card details, and more. Protecting oneself involves maintaining privacy in sharing information, enabling two-factor authentication, and employing strong, unique passwords with security solutions that provide additional safeguards for an uninterrupted gaming experience.
Online Gaming Carries The Following Major Risks
Viruses and malware: Searching for less expensive or free downloads of your preferred games puts you in danger of accidentally downloading malware and viruses.
Theft of identity: Hackers gather information that is personally identifiable to create victimised identities. The chat feature is one of the possible risks of playing video games online with random people.
Invasion of a profile: It's not advisable to use an identical password and username across all of your preferred video game platforms since if hackers manage to obtain your login information, they may hack all of your player accounts and perhaps take control of them.
Swatting and doxing: Doxxing is the practice of hackers publishing your residential location or telephone number online after obtaining your private data. Swatting is a dangerous harassment tactic originating from online gaming, involving false emergency reports to provoke an excessive police response at the unsuspecting victim's location.
How Hacking Poses Serious Risks to Online Gaming Security
The video game industry has experienced rapid growth in recent times, catering to millions of players throughout the globe who relish an extensive array of engaging adventures. But because of its widespread use, hackers are now more likely to target it in an attempt to take advantage of its weaknesses.
Hackers are drawn to the gaming business for a number of reasons.
Due to its enormous income potential, this sector is an appealing option for investment. Players' large audience offers a treasure trove of private data that can be used for fraudulent transactions and other nefarious activities. Because of its high exposure, the sector is a tempting target for attackers looking to achieve recognition or make an impression. Customers wish to add modifications, cheats, or other external software to their contest, which increases the threat. In this sector, there is fierce competition, and winners take home large cash awards. This encourages players to use DDoS attacks to their advantage in order to outperform their rivals.
Importance of Secure Servers
Upgrade server applications and Modifications
Maintaining the most recent versions of all server software is a basic step in gaming server security. Updates and patches are regularly released by developers to address security flaws, therefore it's imperative to install them right away. If you ignore updates, your server becomes vulnerable to known vulnerabilities and a prime target for cybercriminals.
Put Strict Access Controls in Place
It is essential to manage who has permission to access your gaming system to avoid violations and unwanted access. Use strong password regulations and mandate complicated passwords for administrators on the system.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) into place
Restrict access rights to those who need them for administrative tasks to lessen the possibility of unlicensed individuals taking over a server.Safety Measures Players should be urged to adhere to best practices, which include:
Using secure passwords.
Avoid clicking on dubious links.
Updating software & apps regularly.
Upgrading antivirus software regularlyImproving cybersecurity practices and bringing attention to possible risks can greatly improve the general population's safety in gaming.
Conclusion
The internet gaming industry's rapid expansion has resulted in increased security threats in addition to recreation. Players confront various threats, including growing hacking attempts, sensitive information leaks, malware, identity theft, and doxing. To reduce these dangers, secure servers are essential. They emphasise the importance of frequent upgrades, restricting access, and user training. It becomes essential to enable security measures to keep ahead of emerging dangers. Enhancing safety measures guarantees a more secure gaming environment, safeguarding the large population that participates in this quickly changing digital space.
References
https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/top-10-online-gaming-risks
https://www.imperva.com/blog/cyber-attacks-gaming-industry/
https://www.techslang.com/securing-gaming-servers-cybersecurity-best-practices-for-online-gaming-communities/
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/13/16888710/barris-swatting-death-charges
