A scripted video purporting to show a tailor inappropriately touch a woman while taking her measurements, is being shared online with false claims targeting Muslims and urging Hindu women to avoid small businesses run by Muslims.
However, BOOM found that the video is staged and the communal claims being made with it, are false. BOOM has earlier debunked several scripted videos that have been passed off with unrelated communal claims on social media.These videos are shared on Facebook and YouTube by content creators to get millions of views but are prone to misuse and go viral as disinformation targeting the Muslim community in India.
The 3 minutes and 36 seconds long video, purports to show a CCTV footage of a young woman visiting a tailor. The man on the pretext of taking her measurements tries to touch her inappropriately. Following which, the woman hurriedly leaves the shop. Later another burqa-clad woman visits the shop and the tailor tries to do the same with her. However, the woman takes off her burqa to reveal that she is a policewoman. The policewoman escorts the tailor out of the shop and brings down its shutter.
The Hindi caption with the video translates to, "Hindu sisters and daughters are requested not to go to the shop of Muslims. These people have wrong mentality and dirty thinking. Do not get clothes, henna and hair cutting done from them."
Click here, here and here to see the viral posts.
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Fact Check
BOOM performed a reverse image search on one of the keyframes of the viral video and found the same video on a YouTube channel named 3RD EYE with over 6 lakhs subscribers. The video was uploaded on the channel on March 12, 2022.
We noticed that the caption of the video reads as, "Fitting Master Social Awareness Video By 3rd Eye | Ideas Factory". The description with the video says, "Thank you for watching! Please be aware that this Channel features scripted dramas and parodies to Aware People in Different Situations. This Channel Brings Social Awareness Videos. These short films are for entertainment purposes only!"
A look through the channel's video playlist shows it has uploaded numerous such scripted videos with descriptions that they are made for social awareness.
BOOM reached out to the YouTube channel. Speaking to BOOM, Rahul Kashyap from 3rd Eye confirmed to us that the video was created to spread social awareness.
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