Pak social media shares video of pilot injured in Bengaluru Aero Show as that of IAF Pilot
Earlier today, the spokesperson of the Pakistani Armed Forces claimed on his Twitter account that Pakistan had shot down two Indian airforce planes inside Pakistani airspace and had arrested one Indian air-force pilot. At the time of writing, no confirmation of this claim has come from the Indian airforce or the Indian Government. However, a video now made viral by multiple Pakistani social media accounts is being shared with the claims that it depicts the arrested Indian air-force pilot. A page called Pak Army has circulated this video and it has been shared over 18,000 times.
The same video has also been shared from the Twitter account of one Dr Shahid Masood who claims to be the President of Airwaves Media group in his Twitter bio.
2nd Indian Pilot Arrested Alive... pic.twitter.com/TaYWNCCljY
— Dr Shahid Masood (@Shahidmasooddr) February 27, 2019
What is the truth?
Alt News looked up this video and found that it is being circulated in the Pakistani social media ecosystem with a false context. The video dates back to Feb 19, 2019, a day prior to Aero Show in Bangalore, when two Surya Kiran aircrafts crashed during rehearsal. The crash resulted in the death of one pilot and two other pilots were injured.
After the crash, a heartwarming video emerged on social media which showed a civilian comforting the injured pilot Vijay Shelke who had parachuted out of his jet. The video that is being circulated is that of the injured pilot Vijay Shelke, and the civilian trying to comfort him.
Yesterday, Alt News covered a series of misinformation that was shared on Indian mainstream media and social media post the IAF strikes in the Balakot region of Pakistan. Today, we are observing a similar pattern in the Pakistan mainstream media and social media ecosystem.
Courtesy: www.altnews.in
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Smriti Mandhana named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Star batter Smriti Mandhana, who played a pivotal role in India's historic 2025 Women's World Cup triumph, was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 at a glittering function here on Monday.
Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh won the Emerging Player of the Year award, for her historic FIDE Women's World Cup triumph at just 20.
Preethi Pal was named the Para-Sportswoman of the Year, for winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in track and field, while Anjali Bhagwat was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her pioneering career as India's first woman shooter to reach an Olympic final and her trailblazing success on the world stage.
Mandhana, who is currently touring Australia with the Indian team for multi-format bilateral assignments, said in a video message: "Thank you BBC for giving me the awardfor Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women's cricket, especiallytowards the end we had a World Cup and I'm happy I could contribute and help India win matches.".
At 29, the left-handed batter is already among the game's greats, with the second-highest number of centuries in women's One Day Internationals and ranking third in total runsscored among current players worldwide.
Hailing from Sangli city in Maharashtra, the affable Mandhana was inspired by her father and brother, both of whom played cricket at the district level.
In September last year, she made a 50-ball hundred against Australia – the fastest 50 over international ton (men and women) by an Indian in the format, breaking Virat Kohli's record.
The award winners were decided by a distinguished grand jury comprising Leander Paes, Deepa Malik, and Anju Bobby George.
Praising the athletes' achievements CEO of BBC News, Jonathan Munro said: "Congratulations to this year's winners who showcase the very best in sporting excellence. The BBC World Service is committed to bringing such stories of human endeavour and outstanding success to audiences across India and around the world.".
Additionally, the ceremony also celebrated a wide spectrum of talent and impact, recognizing star performers and changemakers for redefining the landscape of Indian sport.
BBC Star Performers of the Year 202.
• Indian Women's Cricket Team: for their historic World Cup victory.
• Ekta Bhyan, Deepthi Jeevanji and Preethi Pal: for their trailblazing performances at the World Para Athletics Championship.
• Indian Women's Cricket Team for the Blind: for their inspiring World Cup victory.
• Indian Women's Kabaddi Team: for their smashing victory in World Cup.
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BBC Changemakers of the Year 202.
• Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team: for breaking barriers in a non-traditional sport.
• Rajbir Kaur: Indian field hockey player and former captain of the women’s national team.
• Savita Punia: Indian field hockey player and current member of the national team.
• Paani Devi: recognised for her impactful contribution to grassroots sport.
