Fact Check: Son marries his mother in Pakistan? No, viral claim is false
Claim: The viral video shows a Pakistani boy celebrating marriage with his own mother.
Fact: The claim is false. The boy arranged a second marriage for his mother. A statement about her marriage has been misconstrued deliberately.
Hyderabad: A video featuring a Pakistani boy and his mother has gone viral on social media, with widespread speculation about the nature of their relationship.
An X user posted the video and wrote, “A son ‘married’ his mother after raising her for 18 years. The news is viral all over the world. Abdul Ahad himself shared his ‘story’ on social media, Abdul himself ‘revealed’ this! Now Abdul will keep taking mother’s money!” (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)
The text on the video reads, “Son marries off his mother in a heartwarming gesture.”
Similar posts can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The boy did not marry his mother, he arranged for her second marriage.
The confusion stemmed from the use of the phrase ‘married off’ used by many social media users in their posts' captions. The term ‘married off’ or ‘marry off’ commonly refers to the act of arranging a marriage for someone, often a family member.
A keyword search revealed a report from Hindustan Times titled, “Pakistani man wins hearts by arranging his mother’s second marriage: 'Queen raised a king’” published on 30 December 2020.
The report said that a touching video shared on Instagram by Abdul Ahad captured heartfelt moments with his mother leading up to her joyful nikah (marriage ceremony). The video beautifully highlighted their close bond, showing tender interactions between the mother and son before transitioning to the lively celebration.
We also found a similar report published on India Today.
Using this information, we found an Instagram account of a person named Abdul Ahad. We found the same Instagram video posted on December 18, 2024.
View this post on Instagram
The video captured a touching narrative ahead of his mother’s second nikah. The video opens with heartfelt moments between the mother and son, highlighting their close relationship through warm smiles and embraces. It transitions to the vibrant nikah ceremony, showcasing the joyous celebrations and cultural richness of the occasion.
We also found the viral image, in circulation with the viral claim, posted on his Instagram account on December 20, 2024.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
