A video from Pakistan of a paraglider being apprehended, is viral with a false claim that it is Indian pilot Shivangi Singh taken into custody amidst Operation Sindoor.
BOOM found that the video is from Pakistan's Chitral airport, where a man landed into the premises while paragliding. We were further able to confirm that the man in the video is a Bangladesh national, currently in Pakistan to train in paragliding.
The viral video, shot from a distance, shows a person in a black suit being detained by two security personnel and is viral with the caption, "Indian pilot Shivangi Singh is getting disgraced and being a prisoner for Pakistan now. She was flying with Rafael#OperationBunyanulMarsoos."
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BOOM has previously debunked multiple unrelated videos viral with the false claim that it shows Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Shivangi Singh taken prisoner by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The IAF clarified to BOOM that Singh has not been taken prisoner in Pakistan, adding that no Indian pilot is in custody. The same was corroborated by Pakistan's Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, Director General, Inter-Services Public Relations (DGISPR) in a press briefing.
Fact Check
BOOM found a post on X where the person being accosted was identified as a Bangladeshi paraglider. The post further clarified that the location was Chitral airport in Pakistan and that the paraglider had landed across the border, due to bad weather.
We then reached to Sajid Ur Rahman, a paragliding pilot based in Chitral Lines, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, who also posted the same details on his Facebook account. Rahman confirmed that the video was viral with a false claim of IAF pilot Shivangi Singh.
We then reached out to the person in the video, identified upon his request, only as Riad. Speaking to BOOM Bangladesh, Riad, said he was a Bangladesh national and currently based in Pakistan to train in paragliding. Describing the events in the video, Riad said that during a regular training in Chitral, local pilots informed him that the Chitral airport was not operational. He then considered landing in the vicinity, which was permissible.
"While preparing to land I identified a grass patch that appeared suitable, as there was a cow grazing there. However, as I descended, I noticed the airport perimeter fencing. Since paragliders are non-motorised aircraft, once the final approach begins, it's not possible to change course or gain altitude."
He added that right after landing, he was approached by airport security who let him go after verifying his documents.
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