Deepfake Video of Rajat Sharma Announcing India-Bangladesh Conflict Circulates
A deepfake video reportedly showing Indian journalist Rajat Sharma announcing a potential India-Bangladesh military conflict circulated on social media. Fact-checkers confirmed the video was 91.5% AI-generated and used footage from an unrelated news episode, with no basis in actual reporting by Sharma or credible reports of tensions between the countries.
What happened
A video circulated on social media platforms including Facebook claiming to show Indian journalist Rajat Sharma reporting on a potential military conflict between India and Bangladesh, citing border incidents and drone deployments.
The video was identified as a deepfake created using AI technology. AI detection tools flagged the viral clip as 91.5% AI-generated, and verification showed mismatched lip sync with the audio.
Reported impact
The false video spread on social media and could have caused public alarm regarding international relations between India and Bangladesh.
Index analysis
The deepfake drew from an actual episode of Rajat Sharma's show Aaj Ki Baat from 9 July 2025, using video of him discussing unrelated domestic stories including a Love Jihad case in Indore, political unrest in Bihar, an assault by a Shiv Sena MLA, a bridge collapse in Gujarat, and Delhi Chief Minister residence tender cancellations.
Fact-checking confirmed no credible reports existed of Rajat Sharma making any statement about India-Bangladesh tensions, and no recent reports indicated actual border tensions between the countries.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.