Video From Sri Lanka Given a Communal Spin & Shared as One From Kerala

The video could be traced back to at least February 2021 and is reportedly from the Galaha area of Kandy.

The CCTV footage of a person attacking a man with what appears to be an iron rod is going viral on the internet.

What is the claim?: Those sharing the video claimed that the attacker belonged to the Muslim community who after killing a Hindu tried to cover the crime as an accident. Users identified the location as Kerala.

(More archives to similar claims can be found here and here.) We also received a query about the viral video on our WhatsApp tipline.

What is the truth?: The video is old and could be traced back to at least February 2021. We also found that the incident didn't take place in India, but in Galaha area of Sri Lanka.

How did we find out?: The people in the video could be heard speaking in Sinhalese in the background.

• Fact Crescendo's Sri Lanka team reached out to the Galaha police station.

• Acting Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Mr Rodrigo told the organisation that the incident had no religious reason behind it.

• He said, "The Muslim person is mentally ill. He suddenly attacked the victim. He was immediately arrested and taken into police custody. At present, the injured person is being treated at the hospital."

• According to the organisation, the video is from the Galaha area of Kandy, Sri Lanka.

• There are older posts on Facebook dating back to February 2021 which confirm that the incident is old and not recent as claimed.

Conclusion: It is clear that the video is old and shows a person from the Muslim community attacking a person in Sri Lanka. It is not from Kerala, India.

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