Viral video of ‘bride kidnapping’ lacks credibility | The Express Tribune

Despite public awareness campaigns and strict laws against the spread of misinformation, fake videos continue to circulate on social media. The latest involves a short clip claiming a landlord’s son abducting a bride on her way to her new home, sparking outrage online.

The video, circulating on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, shows a newlywed bride travelling with her groom in a decorated car. The clip depicts unarmed men intercepting the car, forcing the bride into a black SUV, and speeding away.

The video, barely ten seconds long, sent shivers down the spines of many viewers and quickly went viral. Users shared it widely, criticising the government for alleged lawlessness and even claiming to know the location of the incident—without verifying its authenticity.

Express Tribune’s Hyderabad Bureau Chief Junaid Khanzada confirmed that no such incident had been reported in Hyderabad or surrounding areas. He noted that the abductors shown in the video are unarmed, which is highly unusual in kidnapping cases. Khanzada suggested that the clip is likely a scene from a drama or an entertainment programme. Sindh Police also claimed that the incident, shown in the viral video, had not taken place in the province.

In a reel shared on Facebook, the Sindh Police stated that the clip “purportedly depicting the daylight abduction of a female individual during a marriage procession” has been widely circulated online, but no district in Sindh has verified the incident.

The post noted that the vehicle shown in the video, AAC-947, is a Cherokee registered vehicle. The Sindh Police urged anyone with credible information about the video, particularly regarding its actual location, to come forward and provide verified facts.