Fact Check: Influencer, Not Captain Anshuman Singh’s Widow, in Viral Video
Claim: A social media video shows a woman in a yellow saree, labeled “martyr’s wife,” and claims it depicts Smriti Singh, the widow of late Captain Anshuman Singh.
Verdict: False. The woman in the video is model Reshma Sebastian, not Smriti Singh.
What We Found:
- The video circulated online claims to show Smriti Singh, wife of the deceased Captain Anshuman Singh who received the Kirti Chakra for bravery.
- A reverse image search of the video led to the Instagram account of Reshma Sebastian, a model.
- The video on Sebastian’s account, uploaded in April 2024, predates Captain Singh’s death.
- Sebastian resides in Germany and identifies as a model in her Instagram bio and a TEDx Talk linked there.
- Sebastian clarified on Instagram that she is not Smriti Singh and urged users to stop spreading misinformation.
- Facial features of Sebastian and Singh differ, despite similar hairstyles.
Why It Matters:
- Spreading false information online can lead to online harassment and damage reputations.
- Fact-checking helps verify the accuracy of information on social media.