Fact Check: Burnt animal remains show arson used to clear land at Kancha Gachibowli? No, it is an old video
A video of burnt animal remains is circulating on social media, claiming to show the destruction wrecked by the land clearing activity at Kancha Gachibowli near HCU.
By K Sherly Sharon
Claim:The burnt animal remains in the video indicate that arson was used to clear land at Kancha Gachibowli.
Fact:The claim is false. The land-clearing activity at Kancha Gachibowli began on March 30, 2025, whereas the viral video has been circulating online since March 5, 2025.
[Disclaimer: Viewer discretion advised. This story contains visuals and descriptions of burnt animal remains that some readers may find disturbing.]
Hyderabad: Days after the halt of land clearing exercise by the Telangana State government in Kancha Gachibowli, videos claiming to show the destruction wrecked at the 400-acre site are going viral on social media.
A video showing the burnt remains of animals is being shared widely with users, linking it with the land clearing at Kancha Gachibowli, near the University of Hyderabad.
An X user shared the video and wrote, āSuch a shameful act by the government of Telangana. Destroying the home of innocent animals in the name of development. This is the downfall of mankind. If cruelty had a face, this is it. Please stop this genocide #SaveHCUBioDiversity #SaveForests #Animals_livesā (Archive)
Sharing the same video, an X user wrote, āDestruction is happening in the name of development. Today, we can see how many people are protesting against the government, which is destroying the homes of mute birds and animals!! #SocialMedia #ViralVideo #Shocking #
Posts making similar claims can be found here, here, and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2 and Archive 3)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral video predates the land clearing and tree felling at Kancha Gachibowli. The land-clearing activity at Kancha Gachibowli began on March 30, 2025. The viral video has been in circulation on the internet since March 5, 2025.
We did not find any social media posts or news reports stating that arson was used as a land-clearing method at Kancha Gachibowli by the Telangana State government.
Using a reverse image search, we found the viral video posted by an Instagram account ādeepak_prajapati_1431ā with the caption āaagā. The video was posted on March 7, 2025.
An archived version of the post can be found here. The viral video was shared by an Instagram account abisekabisel, on March 5, 2025. (Archive)
Another Instagram account, lakshmiraj_924, shared the video on March 7, 2025. (Archive)
These posts make it clear that the video has been circulating on the internet since at least March 5, 2025.
According to a Siasat Daily report, the land clearing exercise at Kancha Gachibowli began on March 30, 2025. The report reads, āSeveral students from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) here were detained by the Cyberabad police after they began protesting against JCBs clearing part of the UoHās east campus on Sunday, March 30. The protests began after the JCBs came to the campus around 2 pm.ā
The report was published on March 30, 2025, with the title, āUniversity of Hyderabad students held as JCBs begin clearing campus forest.ā
Referring to the land clearing activity, an April 1, 2025, report by The Indian Express stated, āThe activity that started Sunday afternoon continued through the night, and more earthmovers were deployed Monday morning.ā
From these reports, we found that the land-clearing activity at Kancha Gachibowli began on March 30, 2025. The viral video has been circulating on social media since March 5, 2025.
We were unable to independently verify the exact location and time of the video. However, going by the dates on which the video was shared, it is clear that the viral video predates the Kancha Gachibowli land clearing incident.
Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false.
