Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim: In India, a Muslim boy is trying to tamper with a street light pole.
Fact: The video is from Karachi, Pakistan and has no connection with India.
A video showing a boy tampering with a street light pole has gone viral on social media, with users claiming it to be from India. Those sharing the video sought to give a communal twist to the video, insinuating that the boy was cutting the nut that held the pole to wilfully cause an accident.
Sharing that video on the X handle a user wrote, “The terrorist is cutting the “nut” of the electric pole..? Then this pole will fall on pedestrians or vehicles and many people will get killed? Then propaganda will be run that no one is safe under the rule of “Modi-Yogi”? (sic)”
Many such claims are also shared on Facebook, which can be seen here, here and here.
Fact Check/ Verification
A reverse image search on a keyframe from the video led us to a post on June 30, 2023, by a Facebook user named Mohammad Hasnain, carrying the same video. The caption accompanying the post, in Urdu, read, “These are the children of thieves. They are cutting street light cables during the day. No one is going to ask. Manzoor Colony Awami Chowk Hill Town Marwat Park.”
We also found that Aalami Majlise Tahaffuze Khatme Nubuwwat (AMTKN), an international, religious, preaching and reform organisation of Islamic Millat and a Karachi-based media outlet named The Karachi Exposer also shared the same video on July 1, 2023 and July 2, 2023 respectively, with the same information.
We then searched for ‘Manzoor Colony, Awami Chowk’ on ‘Google Earth’ and found a similar water body near Manzoor Colony, Awami Chowk, beside Sidra Street.
The image of the boundary wall of the water body on Google Maps matched with the one seen in the viral clip.
We have also reached out to several Pakistani journalists and will update the article with their response.
Conclusion
Thus it is safe to conclude that the viral video is from Karachi, Pakistan and has no connection with India.
Result: False
Sources
Video by Mohammad Hasnain, Dated June 30, 2023
Video by Aalami Majlise Tahaffuze Khatme Nubuwwat (AMTKN), Dated july 1, 2023 Video by The Karachi Exposer, Dated July 2, 2023
Google Earth and Google Maps
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
