Fact Check: AI-Generated Image Used to Spread False Claims About Imadol Incident
असार २६, २०८३ १४:५०
Kathmandu. An AI-generated image is being widely shared on social media with the false claim that it shows the Imadol accused urinating while the victim recorded him for views and monetization. TechPana's Fact Check Desk found that the image, along with accompanying claims that the woman falsely accused the man while he was relieving himself, is misleading.
On Sunday, a young woman shared a video alleging that a man exposed himself and behaved indecently toward her on a street in Imadol, Lalitpur. The video quickly went viral, and on Monday (July 6), police arrested 55-year-old Surendra Bhatt, an education officer working under the Ministry of Defence.
Since Bhatt's arrest, several images and narratives related to the incident have circulated widely on social media. One of the most prominent claims suggests that Bhatt was merely urinating against a wall when the young woman recorded him, later posting the video online to gain views and earn money through monetization.
According to TechPana's investigation, the image used to support this claim is AI-generated. The accompanying story alleging that Bhatt had consumed alcohol on his way home from work and stopped to urinate is also based on unverified claims. At present, the only officially available evidence is the video released by the victim and the police complaint she filed alleging indecent behavior. The accused's statement has not yet been made public.
Claim
On July 8 at 1:53 p.m., a Facebook account named 'K.P Gartaula' shared a post in the 'Khusbu Oli Supporters' Facebook group, which has more than 71,000 followers.
The post included an image showing two side-by-side photographs: one of the victim and another appearing to show Surendra Bhatt urinating while the young woman photographed him.
See the post, archive link, and screenshot.
Investigation
After identifying the viral image, TechPana conducted a Google Reverse Image Search to determine where it first appeared.
The investigation found that Facebook user 'Mike Budhathoki' had shared the same image earlier on July 8 at 10:52 a.m.
In his post, Budhathoki argued that if Bhatt had simply stopped to urinate, treating him like a criminal would be legally and morally wrong.
He wrote that justice in the digital age should not be based solely on appearances and urged authorities to conduct a detailed and impartial investigation.
See the post and screenshot.
The same image continued to spread across multiple Facebook accounts.
Another Facebook user, 'Budha Hiralal,' shared the image on July 8 at 6:54 p.m. with the caption, "Is this AI or what's really going on?"
The image itself contained the text, "Looking at this photo, who actually deserves justice? Comment below." See the post, archive link, and screenshot.
The investigation further found that Facebook user 'Santosh Karki Maisuf' had also shared the same image along with a lengthy post on July 8 at 5:21 a.m.
In that post, he claimed he had previously written about the Surendra Bhatt incident and wanted to present "another aspect" of the case after receiving mixed reactions.
He wrote, "Dear friends, yesterday I posted on social media about an incident involving 55-year-old government official Mr. Surendra Bhatt, which went viral. Taking the mixed reactions seriously, today I want to clarify another aspect of the incident and share my perspective."
His post claimed that Bhatt, who was described as a diabetes patient, had consumed snacks and alcohol while returning home from work. According to the story, when he felt the need to urinate, he turned toward a wall in an alley. At that moment, the young woman arrived. After he finished and zipped up his trousers, she shouted that he had exposed himself, gathered a crowd, recorded a video, and later uploaded it to social media.
By the time TechPana prepared this fact-check, that post had received more than 11,000 reactions, 943 shares, and over 3,400 comments. See the post and screenshot.
TechPana's investigation found that the story shared by Santosh Karki Maisuf was not based on verified information.
A review of his Facebook activity revealed that on July 7 at 7:27 p.m., he had made another post, a day before. In the post, he told a fictional story by changing the names of the people involved in the Imadol incident. This story is different from the video that the young woman, the victim of the Imadol incident, had made public. However, the post’s picture uses a keyframe taken from the video that the young woman had released, showing the obscene act in Imadol.
In the post Mosuf published on July 7, he tells the ‘story’ of a government employee going to the office (the above post mentions it as when he was returning from the office), he felt the need to urinate and changed, and the young woman saw him and started filming. The post also mentions that after the video went viral on social media and the police investigated, it was said that the incident was not sexual abuse but a misunderstanding, and that the man was proven innocent. Towards the end, the post clarifies that it is a story. More than three thousand people have reacted to this post so far. The post has over 1,200 reactions and more than 300 shares.Check out the post, the recorded version, and the screenshot.
Analyzing the two different posts that Santosh Karki Mausuf made within two days, on July 7, the author created a fictional story by changing the names of the people involved in the incident to Rajesh and Sarita. Real photos were also used in it. This led readers to wonder, “Could this really be what had happened?” The story's fictional nature was also explained at the end of the post.
One of the central assertions was that Bhatt whose name was changed, was returning home from work when the incident occurred. However, according to publicly available information, the incident took place on Sunday evening. Under Nepal's current two-day weekend system, Sunday is a public holiday for government offices, making the claim that he was returning from office duties inconsistent with the known timeline.
Similarly, the viral posts repeatedly claimed that Bhatt merely stopped to urinate due to health issues and that the young woman deliberately recorded him to gain social media views and monetization income. However, none of the posts presented any evidence to support those allegations.
In the actual video, the young woman is heard alleging that Bhatt deliberately exposed himself and behaved indecently toward her while she was walking along the road. The footage does not show Bhatt urinating.
Instead, after being confronted by the woman, Bhatt is seen apologizing. The video therefore does not support the narrative circulating on social media that he was simply relieving himself when he was secretly recorded.
We then analyzed the viral image circulating on social media, which showed the accused, Surendra Bhatt, urinating, using multiple AI detection tools.
The image was first examined with Hive Moderation, which found a 99.9 percent probability that it had been generated using artificial intelligence. It was also analyzed using OpenAI's GPT image detection model, which indicated a 98.8 percent likelihood that the image was AI-generated.
To further verify the findings, we checked the image using Verify OpenAI Generated Images, which confirmed that it had been created using OpenAI tools.
TechPana also contacted Gautam Mishra, Superintendent of Police (SP) and spokesperson for the Lalitpur District Police Office, for an update on the investigation. Mishra said Bhatt remains in police custody after the Lalitpur District Court granted a six-day remand for investigation.
According to Mishra, the investigation is currently being conducted based on the victim's complaint alleging indecent behavior. He said police have already recorded Bhatt's statement, but it will only be made public after the Government Attorney's Office prepares its report.
Speaking to TechPana, SP Gautam Mishra said the investigation is being carried out independently of claims circulating on social media.
He also urged the public not to spread misinformation or attempt to influence the investigation by sharing fabricated narratives or manipulated content online.
Claim
A viral claim circulating on social media alleges that 55-year-old Surendra Bhatt, the accused in the Imadol incident, was merely urinating against a wall when the victim recorded him to gain social media views and monetization revenue. The claim further alleges that the woman falsely accused Bhatt of indecent behavior and that a photograph showing her recording him while he was urinating proves her allegation was fabricated.
Claimants
The claim has been widely shared by several Facebook users, including K.P Gartaula, Santosh Karki Maisuf, Budha Hiralal, and Mike Budhathoki.
Facts
1. AI-Generated Image
The viral image showing Bhatt urinating while a young woman recorded him is AI-generated. Analysis using Hive Moderation found a 99.9 percent probability that the image was generated using artificial intelligence. The image was further verified using Verify OpenAI Generated Images, which confirmed that it had been created using OpenAI tools.
2. Fictional Story Used to Spread Misinformation
TechPana's investigation found that Facebook user Santosh Karki Mausuf played a key role in spreading the misleading narrative. On July 7, he published the story as a work of fiction, using different character names. The following day, however, he republished the same story as if it described the real Imadol incident, replacing the fictional names with Surendra Bhatt's name and presenting it as a factual account.
3. Factual Inconsistency
The viral claim states that Bhatt was returning home from work when the incident occurred. However, the incident took place on Sunday (July 5), which was a public holiday for government offices under Nepal's two-day weekend system. Therefore, the claim that Bhatt, a government employee, was returning from the office on that day is inconsistent with the known timeline.
4. Context of the Original Video
The publicly available video shared by the complainant does not show Bhatt urinating. Instead, the young woman alleges that Bhatt exposed himself and behaved indecently toward her while she was walking on the street. The footage shows Bhatt apologizing after being confronted, but it does not support the viral claim that he was merely relieving himself when the video was recorded.
5. Police Investigation
According to the Lalitpur District Police Office, Bhatt remains in police custody as the investigation continues on allegations of indecent behavior. Police have confirmed that his statement has been recorded, but it has not yet been made public, as it will only be released after the Government Attorney's Office prepares its report.
Conclusion
The claim that Surendra Bhatt was merely urinating when the complainant recorded the video is misleading. TechPana's investigation found that the viral image used to support the claim is AI-generated.
Feedback
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पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार २६, २०८३ १४:५०
