Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
CCTV footage shows child hitting his mother with a cricket bat after she took away his mobile phone, and forced him to study.
Fact
Viral video found to be scripted.
Several social media users are circulating a 1 minute 30 second video, purportedly showing a boy hitting his mother with a cricket bat after she took his mobile phone and forced him to study. “Mobile phone addiction is getting dangerous. To keep children away from mobile phones, Be cautious of our children,” read one such X post, sharing the purported CCTV footage, where you can see the boy calmly pick the phone after knocking his mother unconscious and then resume using the phone. Some posts said the mother died on the spot.
The archived version of the post can be seen here. We received this video on our Whatsapp tipline (9999499044), requesting us to fact-check it. Some media outlets, too, reported about the alleged incident, including Republic Bharat, News18 Marathi, among others.
Fact Check
Newschecker noticed that one of the claims had shared a screen recording of a Facebook post by actor Sanjjanaa Galrani, with the caption reading, “Every Parent Should Watch This…!”
We could not find the video on her account, however, we saw that the actor has shared several scripted videos, along with digital creator IdeasFactory, on her page.
Newschecker had already debunked one such staged video, showing a priest miraculously survives a heart attack inside a Ganpati pandal. We had also found a similar skit using the same pandal set, uploaded by the same channel.
Taking a cue from this, we looked up the actor’s Facebook page where we came across this particular video, uploaded on August 30, 2024 with a disclaimer stating that it was scripted.
A comparison shows that it is the same living room set used in the two videos, considering the wall painting, treadmill and built-in shelf, which further indicates that the viral clip (left) was staged.
A reverse image search of keyframes led us to this Facebook post by a user, dated October 2, 2024, sharing a longer version of the viral video. “Disclaimer: Please be aware that this page features scripted dramas and parodies as well. This short film is not for entertainment & is for educational purposes only! Characters in this video are for entertainment and educational purposes,” read the post.
“This reel life video footage published only for the purpose of educating the public…Characters in the video are for education and entertainment purpose,” read the disclaimer at the end of the video, which confirmed that it was staged.
We have reached out to Galrani and will update this article once we receive a response.
Also Read: Amidst Row Over Comments On Prophet, Yati Narsinghanand’s Old Remarks On UP CM Viral
Conclusion
A scripted video of a boy hitting his mother with a cricket bat after she took away his phone is being shared and misreported as a real incident.
Result: False
Source
Facebook playlist, Sanjjanaa Galrani
Facebook video, Sanjjanaa Galrani, August 30, 2024
Video analysis
Facebook post, October 2, 2024
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Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
