Old video from Bareilly passed off as visuals from Mukthar Ansari’s funeral

What is the claim?

Numerous social media posts have asserted that a video portraying a sizable crowd originates from the funeral procession of Mukhtar Ansari, a former gangster turned politician who died on March 28, 2024, following a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh. Ansari, a five-time MLA, allegedly attracted a substantial gathering around his Gazipur residence on March 30, 2024, for his funeral ceremonies. 

Post claiming the viral video shows the funeral procession of Mukhtar Ansari. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

One such post, originating from X and garnering approximately 38,000 views, is accompanied by the caption, "This scene is not of the funeral of a martyred army soldier but of the terrorist Mukhtar Ansari who killed dozens of people. Hey India, especially Hindus If you don't wake up today, your future is bleak." An archived version of this post can be accessed here. 

What is the truth?

Upon conducting a Google Reverse Image search, we discovered an extended version of the viral clip on a channel named 'Ayan Khan 99' (archived here), posted on March 20, 2024, bearing the hashtag #saiqlainmiya.

We also discovered that the video was uploaded on January 19, 2024, by isaqlaini690 (archived here), bearing the title “Hazrat Peero Murshid Shah Saqlain Miyan Huzoor R.A #Janaza_Shareef #22october2023 #Bareilly_Shareef #islamicpost #Muslims #sufi #india #reelsinstagram #r #janaza #viralreels #bareilly #islamiyagroud #instagram #share #muslims #wisal #miyanHuzoor #.”

Utilizing the content of the video, we located a news report by Amar Ujala, last updated on October 22, 2023, reporting the demise of the Sufi saint Peer-e-Murshid Hazrat Saqlain Miyan on October 20, 2023. His funeral occurred on October 22, 2023, at the Islamia Inter College in Bareilly.

We confirmed the video's authenticity by geolocating identifiable features to the Islamia Inter College ground in Bareilly. Notably, a structure situated at the center of the Islamia ground appears in the viral video at timestamp 0:26.

Comparison of the viral video and a photo of the Islamia ground from Google. (Source: Abdul Subhan/Google Images, X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Additionally, Gandhi Medico, visible in the video at timestamp 0:30, is positioned on the road adjacent to the Islamia Inter College ground, further substantiating the video's location in Bareilly.

Comparison of the viral video and Google Street View. (Source: Google Street View, X/Modified by Logically Facts)

While independent verification regarding whether the viral video genuinely depicts the funeral procession of the Sufi saint Saqlain Miyan remains inconclusive, the factual evidence contradicts claims tying it to Mukhtar Ansari's funeral. Given that Ansari's funeral occurred in Gazipur on March 28, 2024, over 200km away from Bareilly, and the viral video was uploaded on YouTube as early as January, it is implausible that it pertains to Ansari's funeral. Moreover, geolocation analysis confirms the video captures an event in Bareilly, not Gazipur.

The verdict

This claim is marked as false, as the video predates Mukhtar Ansari’s funeral in Gazipur by several months and has been geolocated to Bareilly, further disproving the claim.