By Anmol Alphonso
A video purporting to show ABP News anchor Sandeep Chaudhary predicting a thumping victory for the I.N.D.I.A. alliance while announcing exit poll figures for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is altered and fake.
BOOM found that the news graphics and audio in the viral video have been doctored to support the false claim. In the original broadcast, ABP News predicted that the BJP-led NDA alliance would sweep back to power.
The results for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections are set to be declared on June 4, 2024.
In the video, Chaudhary can be heard saying, "I.N.D.I.A alliance will get 353 - 383 seats".
The viral clip is being shared on X with a caption that claims, "The most popular channel in the country whose #ExitPoll says this, Total Lok Sabha seats - 543, INDIA - 353 to 383 seats, NDA - 152 to 182 seats. Sandeep Chaudhary Sir brings the "Janta Ka Exit" poll in front of Modi poll."
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that video has been heavily altered using fake graphics and a fake audio track to make the false claim that ABP News anchor Sandeep Chaudhary predicted a victory for the I.N.D.I.A alliance while reading out exit poll numbers.
There are several telltale signs that the audio has been tampered with, as the lip sync does not match the audio.
In the original ABP News broadcast from June 2, 2024, Chaudhary predicted that according to ABP News's exit poll, the NDA would retain power with an overwhelming majority. The news graphic numbers are also different from those in the viral video, predicting the NDA winning 353 to 383 seats and the I.N.D.I.A alliance winning 152 to 182 seats.
We can even hear Chaudhary using similar words in the original broadcast that have been altered in the viral video to make the false claim.
ABP News also took to X to debunk the video. The text of the post in Hindi said, "This video going viral on social media is AI generated and fake. Avoid such fake and misleading information being circulated on social media."
BOOM also ran the video through Itisaar, a deepfake detection tool built by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur. The tool confirmed that the audio is an AI generated voice swap.
The viral clip also contains a watermark of Picsart - an online photo and video editing website using AI.
