Scripted Video Of Domestic Abuse Viral With False Communal Spin

A staged video has surfaced on social media with a false communal claim that it shows a Muslim man thrashing his girlfriend, who is a Hindu.

BOOM found that the video was posted by a YouTube channel ‘Sujeet Pandey,’ which regularly uploads similar scripted videos.

The Claim

The video is being shared on X and Facebook with a communal caption.

The video is also on Instagram with the caption, "Viral Video: A spiritual guru's comments sparked outrage, but a shocking clip flipped the conversation. While Premanand Maharaj spoke against live-in relationships, a video surfaced showing a young girl quietly enduring abuse from her boyfriend."

What We Found:

Scripted Video: BOOM ran a reverse image search using Google Lens, which showed that the viral video was originally posted by the YouTube channel ‘Sujeet Pandey.’ The video, uploaded on June 1, 2023, features actors Sujeet Pandey as the man and YouTuber Ankita Karotiya as the woman who was assaulted. At the 15-second mark, a brief disclaimer appears, stating the video is for entertainment purposes only and does not intend to disrespect or defame anyone. BOOM has previously fact-checked similar scripted videos posted by YouTubers for engagement without proper labeling.