India TV Fact Check: An image has been circulating on social media showing a man holding a placard at an IPL match with an offensive message against Mughal ruler Aurangzeb and those associated with him. However, when we fact-checked this, it was found that the viral image is digitally altered.
What is going viral?
The viral image shows a man standing in a crowded stadium, wearing a black Batman-like mask while holding a placard with an offensive message against Mughal ruler Aurangzeb and those associated with him. On March 24, an X user with the handle Voice of Hindus shared the image, drawing significant attention. Meanwhile, an Instagram user posted the same image with the caption: "Another reason to love CSK."
Investigation
As the photo was going viral, we decided to investigate it. Upon investigating the viral image, we carefully examined it and noticed a watermark at the bottom left corner, indicating that the image was AI-generated.
Building on these findings, we ran the image through Hive Moderation, an AI detection tool, which confirmed that it contained AI-generated or deepfake content.
Furthermore, to find the original message on the placard, we checked comments under the viral post. One of the comments by a user named Parthik Patel, posted on March 24, led us to a social media handle of a user identified as Rathna Kumar. Upon further investigation, we found that on March 23, Rathna Kumar had shared an image identical in setting to the viral one, but the original placard text read: "The Man. The Myth. The Mahi!!"
What came out in fact check?
A fact-check investigation confirmed that the viral image was digitally altered. The original image featured a person holding a placard with a message dedicated to Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, it was manipulated to display an offensive remark, misleading viewers. People are advised to be cautious of any such claim.
(With PTI inputs)
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