#FactCheck: 2017 Video of Army Personnel Beating Pulwama College Student Falsely Linked to Delhi Protests
Executive Summary
During the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar that began on October 10, the Delhi Police had detained thousands of people. Some of those detained alleged that the police assaulted them while they were in custody. CyberPeace Research found that the viral video dates back to 2017 and shows army personnel thrashing a student of Pulwama Degree College in Kashmir. The video has no connection with the protests held in Delhi.
Claim
A video is now going viral on social media showing two army personnel thrashing a man pinned to the ground. An X user shared the video with the caption, “Protesting in Delhi has become a crime. The Indian Army has been deployed, markets are being shut down, and protesters are being beaten. There is widespread oppression and brutality in Delhi. This brutality is being carried out on the orders of Lieutenant General Rajesh Sethi.”
https://x.com/Diksha_sharma03/status/2109891097283756401
Fact Check
A reverse search of keyframes from the video led us to the account of journalist Shahid Tantray, who shared a longer version of the video on April 15, 2017. The video shows two more army personnel joining the two soldiers who were already thrashing the man. In his post, Tantray claimed that the man had been beaten by Indian Army personnel in South Kashmir.
https://x.com/shahidtantray/status/853184476272144384?s=20
A report published by The Indian Express on April 15, 2017, featured a screenshot from the video. According to the report, four Indian Army personnel allegedly beat up a student of Pulwama Degree College in Jammu and Kashmir.
We also found a screenshot from the video in a report published by Deccan Herald on April 15, 2017. The report stated that the person beaten by the four army personnel was a student of Pulwama Degree College.
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/606516/2-more-videos-youths-allegedly.html
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral video dates back to 2017 and shows army personnel thrashing a student of Pulwama Degree College in Kashmir. The video has no connection with the protests held in Delhi.
Related Blogs
Executive Summary
A video showing a completely melted traffic signal is going viral on social media. Users sharing the clip claim that an unprecedented and historic heatwave in European countries like Italy, Spain, France, and Germany has become so severe that modern infrastructure—including traffic lights—is literally melting under the sun However, factual research by the CyberPeace Research Wing reveals that this claim is false. The traffic signal did not melt due to weather conditions; it was damaged by a nearby car fire in Italy.
The Claim
On June 30, 2026, an Instagram user named 'khabribhaiyaa' shared the video with a caption stating:"Many European countries are currently in the grip of an unprecedented and historic heatwave. Temperatures in countries like Italy and Germany have neared 40 degree forcing authorities to issue red alerts. The situation is so bad that modern infrastructure is buckling under this deadly heat. Images and reports from the streets are shocking; traffic lights are melting and dripping due to the extreme heat. Not only this, but paved roads and highways are warping due to excessive temperatures, bringing traffic to a standstill. Additionally, railway tracks and other critical infrastructure are suffering heavy damage."
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DaMpGhjG7h4
https://perma.cc/STD7-75S9?type=standard
To verify the viral claim, we extracted keyframes from the video and ran a Google Lens search. This led us to a report published on June 28, 2026, by the Italian website 'ilbacodaseta'. The building structure visible in the background of the website's featured photo directly matched the backdrop of the viral video.
https://www.ilbacodaseta.org/lugagnano-auto-in-fiamme-al-semaforo-paura-in-via-26-aprile/#google_vignette
Furthermore, we cross-referenced the spot on Google Maps, confirming that the location perfectly matches the visuals seen in the viral clip.
A report by 'tgverona' regarding the same car accident was also shared on Facebook by wrestling referee Johnny Puttini, further verifying that the damage was the result of an accidental fire, not atmospheric heatwaves.
Conclusion
The claim that European heatwaves are melting traffic lights is False. The viral video shows a traffic signal in Lugagnano, Italy, that melted in June 2026 due to a car fire right beneath it. It has nothing to do with the summer temperature or climate conditions.
Executive Summary
Iran’s official news agencies have denied claims that senior officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, have arrived in Pakistan for talks. A senior official told Iran’s Tasnim News Agency that Tehran is considering Pakistan’s proposal for peace talks, but any dialogue would depend on the United States fulfilling its commitment to halt military actions on all fronts.
Notably, the United States and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 8, 2026, with discussions reportedly scheduled for April 11 in Islamabad. Amid this backdrop, a video showing fighter jets escorting a large aircraft is being widely circulated on social media. Users claim that Pakistan deployed these jets to escort an Iranian delegation into the country.
However, an research by the CyberPeace found the claim to be false. The viral video is not recent and dates back to 2019.
Claim
An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video claiming that Pakistan Air Force jets were escorting an Iranian delegation into Pakistan.
Fact Check
Reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to a February 18, 2019 report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The report stated that the fighter jets were deployed by Pakistan to escort the aircraft of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Pakistan on February 17, 2019.
Further verification led us to the same footage uploaded on YouTube by the channel “SCMP Archive” on July 6, 2020. At the time, Pakistan’s Air Force had described the escort as part of a ceremonial welcome tradition for visiting dignitaries.
Conclusion
The viral claim is misleading. The video does not show Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation amid ongoing ceasefire talks. Instead, it is an old clip from 2019, when Pakistan deployed JF-17 fighter jets to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his official visit. There is no evidence linking the video to current geopolitical developments involving Iran and Pakistan. The footage has been taken out of context and reshared with a false narrative to mislead viewers.
Introduction
Your iPhone isn’t just a device: it’s a central hub for almost everything in your life. From personal photos and videos to sensitive data, it holds it all. You rely on it for essential services, from personal to official communications, sharing of information, banking and financial transactions, and more. With so much critical information stored on your device, protecting it from cyber threats becomes essential. This is where the iOS Lockdown Mode feature comes in as a digital bouncer to keep cyber crooks at bay.
Apple introduced the ‘lockdown’ mode in 2022. It is a new optional security feature and is available on iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices. It works as an extreme and optional protection mechanism for a certain segment of users who might be at a higher risk of being targeted by serious cyber threats and intrusions into their digital security. So people like journalists, activists, government officials, celebrities, cyber security professionals, law enforcement professionals, and lawyers etc are some of the intended beneficiaries of the feature. Sometimes the data on their devices can be highly confidential and it can cause a lot of disruption if leaked or compromised by cyber threats. Given how prevalent cyber attacks are in this day and age, the need for such a feature cannot be overstated. This feature aims at providing an additional firewall by limiting certain functions of the device and hence reducing the chances of the user being targeted in any digital attack.
How to Enable Lockdown Mode in Your iPhone
On your iPhone running on iOS 16 Developer Beta 3, you just need to go to Settings - Privacy and Security - Lockdown Mode. Tap on Turn on Lockdown Mode, and read all the information regarding the features that will be unavailable on your device if you go forward, and if you’re satisfied with the same all you have to do is scroll down and tap on Turn on Lockdown Mode. Your iPhone will get restarted with Lockdown Mode enabled.
Easy steps to enable lockdown mode are as follows:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down, tap Lockdown Mode, then tap Turn On Lockdown Mode.
How Lockdown Mode Protects You
Lockdown Mode is a security feature that prevents certain apps and features from functioning properly when enabled. For example, your device will not automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks without security and will disconnect from a non-secure network when Lockdown Mode is activated. Many other features may be affected because the system will prioritise security standards above the typical operational functions. Since lockdown mode restricts certain features and activities, one can exclude a particular app or website in Safari from being impacted and limited by restrictions. Only exclude trusted apps or websites if necessary.
References:
- https://support.apple.com/en-in/105120#:~:text=Tap%20Privacy%20%26%20Security.,then%20enter%20your%20device%20passcode
- https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/apple-lockdown-mode-what-is-it-and-how-it-prevents-spyware-attacks-124041200667_1.html
