Several screenshots of a video showing two injured men are going viral on social media with a claim that they are migrant workers from Bihar who were attacked in Tamil Nadu.
Who shared it?: The claim was shared by Manish Kasyap, a journalist with Sach Tak News, along with several social media users.
The claim states that the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav should pay attention to the matter of 'Bihar migrants facing atrocities' in Tamil Nadu.
An archive can be seen here.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
(Archive of similar claims can be seen here and here.)
Alleged attacks in Tamil Nadu: Several old and unrelated videos are going viral on social media with a claim that migrants from Bihar are being brutally attacked in Tamil Nadu, after one video of an assault went viral on social media.
The Quint's WebQoof has debunked several such claims which can be seen here.
What's the truth?: These screenshots are from a scripted video, which was uploaded on YouTube and Facebook on 6 March 2023.
How did we find out the truth?: We noticed that the screenshots carried a logo that read 'BNR NEWS REPOTER HONEY'. Taking this as a cue, we performed a keyword search on Google.
This is a screenshot from a video uploaded by 'BNR NEWS REPORTER HONEY'.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
We came across a YouTube channel named 'BNR NEWS REPORTER HONEY' and found out that the viral images are screenshots taken from a video uploaded on 6 March 2023.
The description of this video states that this video contains "imaginary content" and has been made for "entertainment."
The description of the video states that this is a video made for entertainment purposes.
(Source: YouTube/Screenshot)
The video shows two men narrating their condition about how they are leaving for Bihar after being allegedly attacked in Tamil Nadu for not being able to speak Tamil.
At 10:16 timestamp, we noticed one of the men laughing while a different voiceover plays in the background.
In the voiceover, we can hear, "We didn't get any money from the company. They are telling us that you have not worked enough."
This is a staged video.
(Source: Screenshot/ Altered by The Quint)
We also found the Facebook page of 'Bihar News Reports', where the same video was uploaded.
The video was uploaded on Facebook with a disclaimer that this is made for entertainment purposes.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
We also found out that the person with the saffron scarf seen in the viral visuals is the same actor who has also been featured in a different video on the same channel.
He can be seen in a different video uploaded on 8 March 2023.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Police respond to the viral images: The official account of Tamil Nadu police replied to Kasyap's tweet and stated that the video is scripted and the alleged incidents have not happened in Tamil Nadu.
The Economic Offence Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police has booked four persons, including Kasyap for allegedly sharing fake videos that claimed Bihari labourers were being persecuted in Tamil Nadu.
An archived version can be seen here.
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
Conclusion: A scripted video is being shared as a real interview of migrant workers from Bihar who were attacked in Tamil Nadu.
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