The police in Uttar Pradesh, India, have dismissed rumors spreading on social media that a Muslim individual disguised as a Hindu monk was arrested while attempting to attack the Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu religious festival. The image shared in the misleading Facebook post was created using artificial intelligence.

On January 22, 2025, a Facebook post claimed, "A militant disguised as a monk arrested at Kumbh Mela. Name: Ayub Khan." The post further stated, "Regardless of the disguise, true monks can easily recognize an imposter by their behavior, speech, and movements. The Naga monks became suspicious and used their secret code language (which only monks understand) to question him, causing him to panic. As a result, the Naga monks captured him and handed him over to the police." The accompanying image showed two police officers standing knee-deep in water, holding a bound individual dressed in saffron attire.

The Kumbh Mela, held along the banks of the Prayagraj River in Uttar Pradesh, is a six-day-long religious gathering that attracts 400 million pilgrims from India and abroad. Organizers have described the centuries-old religious bathing rituals as a foundational aspect of cultural identity. Despite the installation of hundreds of surveillance cameras and the deployment of drones to manage the crowd, at least 15 people were crushed to death on January 29 due to overcrowding, a doctor told AFP.

An AI-generated image

When AFP inquired with local authorities in Uttar Pradesh, the police dismissed the claims made in the viral posts. Bhaskar Mishra, officer-in-charge of Akhara police station responsible for security at the fair, told AFP on January 28, 2025, that no Muslim individual named Ayub Khan was arrested at the Kumbh Mela disguised as a monk. He clarified that although a man named Ayub Ali was detained, he was later released. Mishra stated, "After a thorough investigation, the magistrate ordered Ayub's release, and no case was filed against him."

Local media outlet ETV Bharat reported on January 14 that Ayub had entered a Hindu monk's campsite by falsely claiming to be Hindu. However, the image of Ayub shared in their report did not match the misleading posts circulating online. Divyendra Singh Jadaun, an expert from the Indian tech-learning firm The Indian Deepfaker, told AFP that he analyzed the viral image and found visual inconsistencies indicating it was AI-generated. On January 23, Jadaun stated, "The background figures in the image lack facial features. Additionally, the rope binding the man in saffron attire appears unnaturally clear and artificial." He further noted, "There is almost no visible water disturbance around the people in the image, which is unrealistic."

AFP independently analyzed the image and identified distortions in the hands of both the supposed monk and the police officer on the left. While there is no definitive method for detecting AI-generated media, such visual inconsistencies serve as critical indicators. Despite rapid advancements in generative AI, certain flaws remain. AFP had previously debunked misinformation related to the Kumbh Mela in earlier reports.

Original News Source: https://factcheckbangla.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36WK6A9