Ravish Kumar denies deepfake allegations by Dainik Bhaskar journalist over fighter pilot inquiry
New Delhi: A controversy has erupted on social media following accusations made by Mukesh Kaushik, a journalist with Dainik Bhaskar, against journalist Ravish Kumar. Kaushik alleged that Kumar and other YouTubers were questioning the whereabouts of Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, a Rafale fighter pilot, after "Operation Sindoor" on May 7th, 2025.
Mukesh Kaushik shared his claims on Facebook, along with a screenshot of a Dainik Bhaskar article dated June 8th, 2025. The article reported that the Indian Air Force had dismissed Pakistani claims regarding the pilot and confirmed that Squadron Leader Singh remains on active duty. The report also mentioned that some Indian YouTubers, particularly in her hometown of Banaras, had raised concerns about her visibility.
Ravish Kumar strongly refuted these allegations through a post on X. He asserted that he had never raised any questions about Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh and that the video in question is a "deep fake." Kumar stated that he is not even familiar with the name and had previously clarified that he did not create any such video, labeling it as a manipulated fabrication.
Kumar criticised Mukesh Kaushik for propagating "fake news on fake news" by associating his name with the deceptive video. He implied that Kaushik should have been able to discern the deep fake and perhaps lacked awareness of Kumar's official online presence on YouTube and Twitter.
Ravish Kumar further accused Kaushik of falsely attributing the spread of misinformation to him. He suggested that Kaushik should examine the deep fake video more carefully and recommended he read a Washington Post report to understand the actions of certain media outlets.
दैनिक भास्कर के पत्रकार मुकेश कौशिक ने लिखा है कि मैंने स्क्वाड्रन लीडर शिवानी सिंह को लेकर सवाल उठाए हैं। मैं न तो इस नाम से परिचित हूँ और न सवाल उठाए हैं। किसी ने डीप फेक का इस्तेमाल कर मेरे नाम और चेहरे से वीडियो बनाया है। कल ही ट्वीट किया था कि मैंने शिवानी सिंह पर कोई वीडियो… pic.twitter.com/cAhrrUmCGs
— ravish kumar (@ravishndtv) June 9, 2025
Earlier, Ravish Kumar had also posted about the existence of deep fake videos using his image and voice, alerting his followers and YouTube to the issue.
ये डीप फेक है। मैंने ऐसा कोई वीडियो नहीं बनाया है। ऐसे कई वीडियो चैनल बन गए हैं जो मेरी आवाज़ और तस्वीर का इस्तेमाल करते हैं । @YouTube @YouTubeIndia https://t.co/oiGiIrg403
— ravish kumar (@ravishndtv) June 7, 2025
The exchange also drew reaction from other journalists, with Shyam Meera Singh expressing his opinion that Mukesh Kaushik's post reflected frustration with Ravish Kumar's popularity.
जो “लहजा और ताप” मुकेश कौशिक जी ने इस्तेमाल किया है उससे पता लगता है वे आपकी लोकप्रियता से कितने कुंठित हैं। मीडिया में ऐसे लोगों की कमी नहीं है जिन्हें नाली की मक्खियाँ भी छूने नहीं आतीं, मगर उनका दुख हिमालय पर्वत से बड़ा है।
— Shyam Meera Singh (@ShyamMeeraSingh) June 9, 2025
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
