WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Around Jharkhand Protests, Deepfakes & More

Read our recap to find the viral pieces of fake news we fact-checked this week!

From several BJP-affiliated social media accounts sharing fake claims around the Jharkhand protests to a deepfake of Ravish Kumar 'exposing' Abhijeet Dipke, here are five of the most viral pieces of misinformation we debunked this week.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/ The Quint)

From several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) affiliated social media accounts sharing fake claims surrounding the Jharkhand protests to a deepfake of journalist Ravish Kumar 'exposing' Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its founder Abhijeet Dipke, here are five of the most viral pieces of misinformation we debunked this week.

1. BJP Shares Video From Bihar as One of Police Action on Jharkhand Protester

Sharing a video of a woman being held down and manhandled by police personnel, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) affiliated social media accounts, as well as former Member of Parliament Ramesh Bidhuri, claimed that it showed visuals of the lady being mistreated amid the ongoing student protest in Jharkhand.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

But the claim is false, as the video predates the Jharkhand protests and shows visuals from Bihar.

Read our fact-check here.

2. Video of Sisters Catching Mobile Thief in MP Shared With False Communal Claim

A video is being shared on the internet, claiming to show a Muslim man trying to disguise himself by wearing a bhagwa cloth and stealing a mobile from a Hindu girl. 

An archived version of this claim can be found here. 

(Source: Instagram/Screenshot)

However, the claim is false, as the video does not have any communal angle.

Read our fact-check here.

3. AI-Altered Video of Ravish Kumar ‘Exposing’ CJP & Abhijeet Dipke Shared as Real

A video is making the rounds on social media, falsely claiming to show Indian journalist Ravish Kumar 'exposing' Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its founder Abhijeet Dipke.  The video shows Kumar calling out Dipke for not joining the protests in Jharkhand and for using typhoid as an excuse.

An archived version of this claim can be found here. 

(Source: X/Screenshot)

However, the video has been altered using AI and does not show authentic footage of Kumar criticising Dipke. 

Read our fact-check here.

4. SIR Brings in a New Type of Scam: Here’s What It Is and How You Can Spot It

Scammers are now using the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to impersonate Election Commission of India (ECI) officials, contacting people over "rejected" forms or mistakes in the self-enumeration documents.

(Photo: The Quint)

These scams work by scaring citizens into handing over their sensitive banking details, or pushing them to download suspicious files on their smartphones.

Read our fact-check here.

5. Old Video of a CRPF Jawan Being Beaten by Kanwariyas Shared as a Recent One

A video was shared on the internet, claiming to show a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan being beaten by Kanwariyas at the Mirzapur railway station, Uttar Pradesh.

An archived version of this claim can be found here. 

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

However, the claim is misleading. While the incident did take place in Mirzapur, the video is not recent, and it happened in 2025.

Read our fact-check here.

(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.)