Staged Clip From UP Viral As Child Carrying Dead Mother's Body In Flooded Punjab

The creator clarified on her Instagram page that she was alive and rumours were spread about her video.

Fact-Check: This video is staged and does not show a tragic incident from Punjab.

(Source: The Quint) 

Amid the devastating floods in Punjab that have resulted in the loss of approximately 48 lives, a video is circulating showing a child dragging his deceased mother's body through the water, purportedly as a recent event from the state.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Instagram) 

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false. The video is a staged incident and is not from Punjab.

• An Instagram creator from Uttar Pradesh made this video in jest.

• The creator later clarified that she was alive and rumours were spread about her death.

What we found: At first, we divided the video into multiple screenshots and ran a Google reverse image search on some of them.

• It led us to a post on X which noted that the video was a staged incident from UP's Pilibhit.

• Replying to the viral claim, a user wrote, "This video is a reel" and shared a screenshot which included more information.

• It noted that an Instagram creator named Aarti Gangawar engaged in making videos by risking her life for content and spreading false rumours in the society. The user urged police to take action against her.

• We also noticed Pilibhit's police response in the screenshot and checked their social media handles for more details.

• Replying to a user, the local police said that the designated police station had been instructed to look into the matter.

• We, then, looked for the creator's profile and found more videos where she pretended to drown in water on her Instagram grid.

Here is a preview of her profile. 

(Source: Instagram) 

Clarification by creator: We also found a video where she explained that the video was intended as a joke and confirmed she was alive.

• She also stated that her entire family was present when the video was recorded.

Conclusion: A staged video showing a drowning incident made by an Instagram creator based in UP has gone viral with the false claim that it shows a child carrying his mother's body in a flood-stricken region of Punjab.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)