2023 Unrelated Image Viral As Indian Female Pilot Shot Down In Pakistan

The India-Pakistan conflict that started in the wake of the Pahalgam attack has now calmed down. During the conflict, many images and videos went viral on social media with false claims. 

One such image is currently going viral in which a female pilot is seen. While sharing this image, users claim, “Initial image released of a female Indian Shivani singh Rafale pilot shot down in Pakistan.”

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FACT-CHECK 

A reverse image search showed that the viral image is not recent, it’s from last year.

The same image was published by The Tribune India on June 2, 2023, in a report about an “IAF Kiran trainer aircraft that crashed in a field near Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, during a routine training flight on June 1. Both pilots, including a woman officer, ejected safely and suffered only minor injuries. No one on the ground was hurt.”

The Tribune India 

Upon further search, it was found that PIB refuted the viral claim on its official account. 

The caption clarified the image is from June 2023, and the graphic stated “Old photo of IAF trainer jet crash shared in FALSE context.”

CONCLUSION

The woman in the viral image is not Shivangi Singh, but a female pilot who was flying an IAF Kiran trainer aircraft that crashed near Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, on June 1 2023. This image is going viral with a false claim.