Factcheck: What Is the Truth Behind the Viral Video and Photo Showing a Man Hiding a Pistol in His Waistband?

Kathmandu: A photo of a man wearing a T-shirt with the TOB logo, taking a pistol from another man, and hiding it behind his waistband has gone viral on social media since Sunday. The man has been in the spotlight since Saturday because of the T-shirt.

A young man sitting on a bike next to him appears to be watching the man holding the gun. After the photos went viral on social media, TechPana fact-checked them. During the fact-check, it was found that the man in the photo is Tenzing Dawa, who led the TOB (Tibetan Original Blood) group during the Gen-Z movement. However, it could not be confirmed exactly when the photo of Dawa was taken.

Claim

Facebook user Prakashchandra Joshi posted the photo on social media at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday. Based on the photo, he expressed suspicion that the shooting on September 8 may have been carried out not only by the police but also by others. He wrote, “After seeing this photo... it occurred to me that all the shots fired on September 8 were not only from police guns but also from somewhere else!!!” (Translated) (Post and screenshot)

Investigation

Social media user Sharmila Acharya shared the same photo, saying, “Which terrorist is this?”  (Translate) (Post and screenshot)

UML leader Mahesh Basnet also posted a video on Facebook showing a pistol. He wrote, “Sudan Gurung, Balen Shah, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, and Sushila, the conspirators who killed people by allowing such armed terrorists to enter the country, destroy the nation, and blame the then government, should clarify the entire incident and take responsibility for it. Heartfelt thanks to journalist Diwakar Shah for exposing this issue.” (Translated) (Video and screenshot)
The watermark of the Tenzing-ad TikTok account can be seen in the video.

After noticing the TOB T-shirt in the viral photo and video, we searched for “TOB Biker” and found a video edited using the app CapCut. The video, found on the TikTok account The Voice of Gen Z around 2 p.m., has since been deleted.

We messaged the account to request the video. The user said he had found it on the Tenzing_ad account on Sunday morning and downloaded it. He said he removed the watermark and reposted the video.

Tenzing Dawa, who became prominent with TOB, is seen in the video. He led his group in the Gen-Z movement on 8-9 September, wearing the TOB T-shirt, jacket, and flag. In the viral 21-second video circulating since Sunday, Dawa walks toward a man sitting on a bike while smoking a cigarette. The man hands Dawa a pistol, which Dawa hides behind his waistband before sitting on the back of the same bike as the other man drives.

After confirming that the person seen in the video was Tenzing Dawa, we contacted him. On Sunday afternoon, he admitted that it was him in the TOB T-shirt carrying the gun. However, he claimed that the video was much older than the Gen-Z movement.

According to Dawa, the video was shot at least two years ago for a music video. He said, “I had uploaded it to TikTok at that time. But after I lost my phone, I deactivated that ID. I don’t know how that old video suddenly went viral overnight.”

He claimed that the gun was fake, saying, “This gun is an airsoft gun, a plastic gun with yellow bullets. It’s easily available in Bhrikuti Mandap, shopping malls, and KL Tower.” He added that it’s common to use fake or wooden weapons in hip-hop songs.

Dawa said he used the gun as a prop for the shooting of Hakim’s song Chiso Chiso Hawale, which was released 10 months ago, and that Hakim Gurung also played a role in the music video. But the video clip was never used because the shoot location was later changed entirely to Mustang.

After the video went viral, Dawa said he was preparing to go to the police headquarters with the gun. “There has been no word from the police so far. I have the gun at home. I’m preparing to go to the police headquarters with it. I’ll show them what kind of gun it is when I go,” he said.

By Sunday evening, Dawa said he would provide evidence that the video was not from the time of the protest. But when we tried to contact him again that evening, we could not reach him.
When we contacted SP Pawan Kumar Bhattarai, spokesperson of the District Police Range, Kathmandu, he said that Dawa had contacted the police himself and was currently under control. However, he did not confirm whether Dawa had brought the pistol with him.

Similarly, rapper DNX posted a video that appears to be five months old, including evidence that the video was saved from CapCut on April 5, 2025. (Video and screenshot)

Technical and Situational Analysis of the Video

The video was shot at dusk near the Arch Bridge in Babarmahal, Kathmandu. The lights are on and vehicles are moving normally in the background. The area was tense during the Gen-Z movement, and traffic was disrupted. The calm and normal atmosphere shown in the video therefore does not match claims that it was filmed during the protests.

The video is not a single take but a compilation of clips shot from at least four different angles and edited using CapCut. The shadow of the cameraman suggests it was not filmed secretly but planned and shot with the knowledge of those involved. This indicates the video was produced for display or entertainment rather than a criminal act.

It is also illogical to choose such a busy public location in central Kathmandu for a real arms exchange. The fact that the person handing over the gun and the one receiving it ride away together further supports that this was not a real arms “deal.” In reality, such exchanges would occur in a more private or concealed place.

The physics of the video appear natural, and Dawa himself admits it was not AI-generated. Some social media users claimed the video was edited to make it look like he was holding a gun instead of a phone, but the photo showing a smartphone is AI-generated, not the video itself.

Most importantly, the TikTok watermark Tenzing_ad is visible in the video, Dawa’s verified account. It would be highly unlikely for someone to publicly post evidence of a serious crime on their own social media.

Dawa insists that the video was shot for a music video, but that the final production did not include that clip or any similar footage showing a weapon.

When we searched for the viral videos and photos on social media since Sunday, we found that this specific video only started circulating recently. Videos of people wearing TOB T-shirts, jackets, and flags were posted frequently during the Gen-Z movement and remain available, but this gun-related clip appeared only in posts from Sunday.

In conversation, Dawa admitted shooting the video for a music video and posting it online. However, he claimed that he lost access to the old account after losing his phone and that all videos were deleted. Yet the current viral video contains the watermark of his Tenzing_ad TikTok account, which has been active since 2020. Since two TikTok accounts cannot have the same username simultaneously, his claim of deactivation appears doubtful.

The upload date of the first video on Dawa’s TikTok account also suggests inconsistency in his statement. This indicates that he may have deleted or hidden the video, fearing controversy over TOB after the Gen-Z protests.

Claim

TOB youth used guns during the Gen-Z movement.

Claimant

Social media users, including Mahesh Basnet.

Fact Check

The viral image was not created using AI technology. It is real. The person in the video is Tenzing Dawa, who led the TOB group and participated in the Gen-Z movement.

Dawa claims that the video was shot two years ago for a music video using an airsoft (fake) gun. He said he uploaded it from an old TikTok account that he later deactivated. However, the Tenzing_ad TikTok account visible in the viral video is still active.

Rapper DNX claims that the video is at least six months old, while Dawa insists it was filmed two years ago. Evidence of the video being posted on social media has only recently surfaced. Therefore, the exact date of the video cannot be confirmed.

Conclusion

A photo of a man wearing a TOB T-shirt with a gun in his waistband has gone viral on social media. Although TechPana’s fact-check found that the viral photo is real, the timing of when it was taken remains unclear. The person in the video is Tenzing Dawa, leader of the TOB group during the Gen-Z movement.

Dawa claims that the video was filmed two years ago for a music video using a fake airsoft gun and that he later deactivated the TikTok account that posted it. However, the account Tenzing_ad, which shared the viral video, appears to still be active. Therefore, there is no solid basis to fully believe his claims.

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