#FactCheck-Old Bihar Video Falsely Linked to Jantar Mantar Protest Over NEET Paper Leak
Executive Summary
A video is being widely shared on social media with the claim that a person attempted to set a Thar vehicle on fire during the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found that the viral video is not from Jantar Mantar, Delhi. The footage is from Gaya, Bihar, where some people allegedly attempted to set a vehicle on fire after a collision involving a Thar and other vehicles on July 16.
Claim:
A 23-second video is being shared on Facebook claiming to show a person attempting to set a Thar vehicle on fire during the ongoing NEET paper leak protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. In the video, a man can be seen trying to ignite the vehicle, while police personnel intervene and stop him. However, the crowd continues to attempt to set the vehicle on fire.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1575765261002644
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search. During the research, we found the same video uploaded on the News18 YouTube channel on July 18, 2026. The caption accompanying the video identified the incident as being from Bihar.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fzAPajxyi3A
Further, a keyword search led us to a report published by Dainik Bhaskar on July 16, 2026. The report contained visuals matching the viral video, along with the statement of the person seen in the viral footage.
According to the report, the incident took place in Gaya, Bihar, after a collision between a Thar vehicle and other vehicles. Following the accident, some people gathered at the spot and allegedly attempted to set the vehicle on fire.
Conclusion:
CyberPeace Research Wing’s fact check found the viral claim to be misleading. The video does not show an incident from the ongoing Jantar Mantar protest in Delhi. The footage is from Gaya, Bihar, where a Thar vehicle was involved in a collision with other vehicles on July 16, following which some people attempted to set the vehicle on fire.
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Executive Summary
A 20-second video showing skyscrapers submerged in water is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that it depicts the flood situation in Surat, Gujarat. The video is also being used by some users to criticize the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many social media users are sharing the clip as authentic footage of flooding in Surat. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the viral claim to be false. Our research revealed that the video is AI-generated and has no connection with Surat. While it is true that heavy rainfall caused flooding in parts of Surat and nearby districts in early July 2026, the viral video does not show any real scenes from the city.
Claim
Facebook user ‘Amresh Kumar’ shared the viral video on July 16, 2026, with the caption, “Thirty years of the Modi-BJP government. Drone footage of Gujarat Model – Surat city.”
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2440459239767277
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we first conducted a keyword search using terms related to flooding in Surat during July 2026. Our search confirmed that Surat experienced heavy rainfall during the first week of July, resulting in waterlogging and disruption in several low-lying areas. According to a report published by Bhaskar.com on July 8, 2026, intense rainfall led to flooding in several parts of Surat, and a few deaths due to electrocution were also reported.
However, none of the credible reports or images from the actual flooding resembled the scenes shown in the viral video. To further investigate, we analysed the video using multiple AI detection tools.We first scanned the video using Hive Moderation, which indicated a 99.9% probability that the footage was generated using Artificial Intelligence.
For additional verification, we examined the clip using another AI detection platform, WasItAI, which also concluded that the video had been created using AI. The analysis from multiple tools strongly suggests that the viral footage is digitally generated and does not represent a real event.
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral video being shared as drone footage of flooding in Surat is fake. Although Surat experienced heavy rainfall and flooding in early July 2026, the video circulating on social media is AI-generated and has no connection with the actual situation in the city. The clip is being falsely shared to spread misleading information.
Introduction
Earlier this month, lawmakers in Colorado, a U.S. state, were summoned to a special legislative session to rewrite their newly passed Artificial Intelligence (AI) law before it even takes effect. Although the discussion taking place in Denver may seem distant, evolving regulations like this one directly address issues that India will soon encounter as we forge our own course for AI governance.
The Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act
Colorado became the first U.S. state to pass a comprehensive AI accountability law, set to come into force in 2026. It aims to protect people from bias, discrimination, and harm caused by predictive algorithms since AI tools have been known to reproduce societal biases by sidelining women from hiring processes, penalising loan applicants from poor neighbourhoods, or through welfare systems that wrongly deny citizens their benefits. But the law met resistance from tech companies who threatened to pull out form the state, claiming it is too broad in scope in its current form and would stifle innovation. This brings critical questions about AI regulation to the forefront:
- Who should be responsible when AI causes harm? Developers, deployers, or both?
- How should citizens seek justice?
- How can tech companies be incentivised to develop safe technologies?
Colorado’s governor has called a special session to update the law before it kicks in.
What This Means for India
India is on its path towards framing a dedicated AI-specific law or directions, and discussions are underway through the IndiaAI Mission, the proposed Digital India Act, committee set by the Delhi High Court on deepfake and other measures. But the dilemmas Colorado is wrestling with are also relevant here.
- AI uptake is growing in public service delivery in India. Facial recognition systems are expanding in policing, despite accuracy and privacy concerns. Fintech apps using AI-driven credit scoring raise questions of fairness and transparency.
- Accountability is unclear. If an Indian AI-powered health app gives faulty advice, who should be liable- the global developer, the Indian startup deploying it, or the regulator who failed to set safeguards?
- India has more than 1,500 AI startups (NASSCOM), which, like Colorado’s firms, fear that onerous compliance could choke growth. But weak guardrails could undermine public trust in AI altogether.
Lessons for India
India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT ( MEITy) favours a light-touch approach to AI regulation, and exploring and advancing ways for a future-proof guideline. Further, lessons from other global frameworks can guide its way.
- Colorado’s case shows us the necessity of incorporating feedback loops in the policy-making process. India should utilise regulatory sandboxes and open, transparent consultation processes before locking in rigid rules.
- It will also need to explore proportionate obligations, lighter for low-risk applications and stricter for high-risk use cases such as policing, healthcare, or welfare delivery.
- Europe’s AI Act is heavy on compliance, the U.S. federal government leans toward deregulation, and Colorado is somewhere in between. India has the chance to create a middle path, grounded in our democratic and developmental context.
Conclusion
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in hiring, banking, education, and welfare, opportunities for ordinary Indians are being redefined. To shape how this pans out, states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana have taken early steps to frame AI policies. Lessons will emerge from their initiative in addressing AI governance. Policy and regulation will always be contested, but contestations are a part of the process.
The Colorado debate shows us how participative law-making, with room for debate, revision, and iteration, is not a weakness but a necessity. For India’s emerging AI governance landscape, the challenge will be to embrace this process while ensuring that citizen rights and inclusion are balanced well with industry concerns. CyberPeace advocates for responsible AI regulation that balances innovation and accountability.
References
- https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-lawmakers-look-repeal-replace-controversial-artificial-intelligence-law/
- https://www.naag.org/attorney-general-journal/a-deep-dive-into-colorados-artificial-intelligence-act/
- https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/11/indias-advance-on-ai-regulation?lang=en
- https://the-captable.com/2024/12/india-ai-regulation-light-touch/
- https://indiaai.gov.in/article/tamilnadu-s-ai-policy-six-step-tamdef-guidance-framework-and-deepmax-scorecard
Executive Summary:
A photographer breaking down in tears in a viral photo is not connected to the Ram Mandir opening. Social media users are sharing a collage of images of the recently dedicated Lord Ram idol at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, along with a claimed shot of the photographer crying at the sight of the deity. A Facebook post that posts this video says, "Even the cameraman couldn't stop his emotions." The CyberPeace Research team found that the event happened during the AFC Asian Cup football match in 2019. During a match between Iraq and Qatar, an Iraqi photographer started crying since Iraq had lost and was out of the competition.
Claims:
The photographer in the widely shared images broke down in tears at seeing the icon of Lord Ram during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir's consecration. The Collage was also shared by many users in other Social Media like X, Reddit, Facebook. An Facebook user shared and the Caption of the Post reads,
Fact Check:
CyberPeace Research team reverse image searched the Photographer, and it landed to several memes from where the picture was taken, from there we landed to a Pinterest Post where it reads, “An Iraqi photographer as his team is knocked out of the Asian Cup of Nations”
Taking an indication from this we did some keyword search and tried to find the actual news behind this Image. We landed at the official Asian Cup X (formerly Twitter) handle where the image was shared 5 years ago on 24 Jan, 2019. The Post reads, “Passionate. Emotional moment for an Iraqi photographer during the Round of 16 clash against ! #AsianCup2019”
We are now confirmed about the News and the origin of this image. To be noted that while we were investigating the Fact Check we also found several other Misinformation news with the Same photographer image and different Post Captions which was all a Misinformation like this one.
Conclusion:
The recent Viral Image of the Photographer claiming to be associated with Ram Mandir Opening is Misleading, the Image of the Photographer was a 5 years old image where the Iraqi Photographer was seen Crying during the Asian Cup Football Competition but not of recent Ram Mandir Opening. Netizens are advised not to believe and share such misinformation posts around Social Media.
- Claim: A person in the widely shared images broke down in tears at seeing the icon of Lord Ram during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir's consecration.
- Claimed on: Facebook, X, Reddit
- Fact Check: Fake
