A video has circulated, depicting a young boy seemingly cutting a nut bolt from an electric pole on a road divider beside an open sewer, with claims that it originates from India. However, D-Intent Data has discovered that this was old footage from Pakistan and has no connection to India.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter), propagandist account @Sudhir_mish wrote, 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 started that no one is safe under the rule of “Modi-Yogi”? ( Translated from Hindi), the post has received more than 2 Million views and a significant number of engagements.
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also shared the video and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @MajorPoonia, @laluyadavsp, @SaurabhKbjpup
The truth about the video of a boy damaging electric pole, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis of the video and found that the video was not from India. But an old incident from Pakistan.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video on Google Lens. This led us to initial posts (Facebook , YouTube) containing the same and longer version of the video, uploaded in June 2023. According to the initial posts, the incident involved a boy caught stealing street light cables in Manzoor Colony, Awami Chowk Hill Town Marwat Park, Pakistan.
During research, we found that Marwat Park is located in Karachi, Pakistan. Google Maps clearly shows the same open sewer next to a road divider.
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the video was not from India, but an old incident from Karachi, Pakistan.
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating old videos from Pakistan with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion in India.
Conclusion
Claim– The video shows a Muslim boy damaging an electric pole in India.
Fact – The video was not from India, but an old incident from Pakistan.
Related Article: Fact Check: Old video of young boys damaging railway tracks in Pakistan falsely shared as India – D-Intent Data (dintentdata.com)
