A digitally manipulated image claiming to show a man defecating outside Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata is being circulated as real. However, the image was digitally altered.
A propaganda account, @AsianDigest, posted this image across social media, attempting to present it as a reflection of public sanitation conditions in India. The post implies government failure in maintaining basic civic standards near major infrastructure.
Another user @AirplaneCentral post this same claim.
Truth: image was digitally altered
As this post went viral, it drew our attention. The D Intent Data Team starts the investigation immediately. We conduct reverse image search with the help of Google Lens and did some checking with AI tools. And we found that the image was digitally altered. The original version of the image, available online since at least February 2014, shows the airport exterior without any such scene. The man seen defecating in the viral version was digitally inserted using photo editing tools.
This confirms that the viral image is not authentic, but a fabricated visual meant to mislead and defame.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) June 28, 2025
ANALYSIS: Fake
FACT: A digitally manipulated image purportedly showing a man defecating in front of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata is being shared as genuine. However, the image is not authentic but digitally altered. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gpeNAgVyY2
Intent:
Propaganda accounts are circulating digitally altered images with false claims to push an anti-India narrative and discredit the country’s image globally.
Conclusion:
Claim: A man is defecating in front of Kolkata Airport, showing poor civic conditions.
Fact: The image is digitally edited. The original photo from 2014 shows no such scene.
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