A staged video created to raise awareness on sexual harassment of women is being shared with a false and communal claim that the 'perpetrators' in the clip are Muslims.
BOOM found that the video is scripted and was created for awareness. The video, shot at a bus stand, shows three men taking turns to approach two women. While one raises her voice against the group, the other is touched inappropriately by the men, who are eventually attacked with a spray.
A similar video showing a robbery, made for spreading awareness, was viral with a communal claim. Read BOOM's debunk here.
They claims with this viral video identify the women as Hindus and the harassers as Muslim goons to give it a false communal narrative.
The caption with the video translates to, "These Jihadi goons were sexually harassing some girls, these girls have damaged their eyes and now, three jihadis are lying on the ground. Hindus, teach your girls such a lesson so that if someone looks at them, they can take out their eye balls. Not only necessary items, but they also need to carry acid spray in their purse. Jai Shree Ram."
(Original Text in Hindi: ये जिहादी गुन्डे इन लड़कियो को द्देड़ २हे थे ,इन लड़कियो ने तीनों की ऑखें फोड़ दी अव यह तीनों जिहादी जमीन पर लोट रहे है। हिन्दुओ अपनी लड़की को ऐसी शिक्षा दो जो उनकी तरफ ऑख उठाये वह उसकी ऑख निकाल ले। पर्स में सिर्फ जरुरत के सामान ही नहीं बल्की तेजाब का स्प्रे भी रखना चाहिए। जय श्री राम)
Click here to view the post.
The video is also on Twitter with the same claim.
Click here to see an archive of the post.
Also Read: Scripted Video Of Man Robbing Couple Shared With False Communal Claim
Fact Check
BOOM did a reverse image search on some of the keyframes of the viral video and found a clearer version of the video on a Facebook page named "LOBO 619". The video was uploaded on February 29, 2020. The video ends with a note, "Hey Girls! Be Prepared To Tackle This Type Of Situations Be Brave".
The video was uploaded with a caption stating that it is scripted and the page creates short films for educational purposes. The caption with the video reads, "THIS WAS SO UNEXPECTED. Thank you for watching! Please be aware that this page features scripted dramas and parodies as well. These short films are for educational purposes only!"
Additionally, we also noticed a disclaimer attached at the end of the video. The disclaimer with the video reads as, "This Reel Life Video footage is published only for the purpose of educating the public by making them understand how the real world situations will be. During this video making we have been taken real incidents and picturized to educate public. Characters in this video are entertainment and education purpose only."
Disclaimer With This Video
Click here to view the Facebook post. We then went through the Facebook page and found that several other videos, scripted in a similar way, have been made for awareness purposes.
According to the about section of the Facebook page, "Mohammed Khayyum, popularly known as Lobo, is an anchor and actor based in Hyderabad, Telangana. He is known for his eccentric dressing and makeup and has appeared in numerous television shows." We have reached out to Lobo. The article will be updated when we get a response.
Also Read: Staged Video Of Man Spiking Woman's Drink Shared With Communal Spin