A video showing a minor girl being harassed by some youths in Bihar’s Jamui district had gone viral on social media. Following the incident, there was widespread outrage across the country, and the police took immediate action, arresting several people, including the main accused, Nandan Yadav. Meanwhile, a photograph purportedly showing Nandan Yadav with Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav is going viral on social media.
Sharing the photograph, a user named John Kabeer wrote, “Ladke hain galti ho jaati hai ~ Mulayam Singh Yadav” (Boys are boys, mistakes happen ~ Mulayam Singh Yadav).
Another user, named Bharatrastrasena, shared the photograph with a caption: “I opened the Facebook account of accused Nandan Yadav and found this photograph there.” However, the user later deleted the post.
Fact Check:
DFRAC’s investigation found that the claim is fake and that the viral photograph purportedly showing Nandan Yadav with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is not genuine. The image is AI-generated. Meanwhile, speaking to DFRAC, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Mohammad Azam denied the authenticity of the viral photograph and termed it fake.
To investigate the viral photograph, the DFRAC team first conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. We did not find any source that could verify the authenticity of the photograph. However, we found several media reports, including reports by Brut and ThePrint, about accused Nandan Yadav’s social media activity.According to a Brut report, “Nandan Yadav, an accused in the Jamui case, had posted videos featuring caste pride, bravado, motorcycles and alcohol. His Facebook and Instagram profiles feature motorcycles, cars, local music, religious events, meetings with friends, and reels centred around themes of bravery and caste pride. Some videos also show alcohol and smoking, while others use songs and voiceovers referring to guns, crime, confrontation and fearlessness.”
Meanwhile, a report by ThePrint stated, “Nandan Yadav’s social media accounts are filled with Haryanvi and Bhojpuri music, bikes, cars, alcohol, female dancers and ‘caste pride’. The Facebook and Instagram accounts offer a glimpse into the mindset of a person whose heinous acts have triggered widespread ridicule, public outrage and strong condemnation.” Neither of these two media reports mentions any photograph of Nandan Yadav meeting Akhilesh Yadav.
Our team also analysed the viral photograph using AI-detection tools, including Hive Moderation, Sightengine, Image Detector and DeepAI. Hive Moderation’s analysis found that the viral photograph was 95.2% likely to be AI-generated. According to Sightengine, the image contained 99% AI-generated content. In addition, Image Detector and DeepAI returned a result indicating a 91% probability that the photograph was AI-generated.
To gather further information about the viral photograph, the DFRAC team contacted Samajwadi Party spokesperson Mohammad Azam. He termed the viral photograph fake. Azam said that AI-generated photographs of INDIA bloc leaders, particularly Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, have repeatedly been shared in attempts to spread misinformation, but the public understands such attempts.
Conclusion:
DFRAC’s fact check establishes that the viral photograph purportedly showing Jamui case accused Nandan Yadav with Akhilesh Yadav is not genuine and is AI-generated. Therefore, the claim being made by social media users is fake.
| Claim Review | A photo of Nandan Yadav, an accused in the Jamui case, with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has gone viral. |
| Claim By | Social Media Users |
| Fact check | AI-Generated |
Sources:
- Hive Moderation AI tool
- Sight Engine AI tool
- Image Detector AI tool
- DeepAI tool
- Samajwadi Party Spokesperson Statement to DFRAC
- News Report of The Print
- News Report of Brut
