Deepfake Videos Falsely Claim Sonam Wangchuk Has Died In Police Custody

Several viral videos circulating on social media recently claimed that Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had died in police custody. The clips included fabricated announcements attributed to India’s Army Chief and well-known news anchors. FaceOff Fact-Check investigated these videos and found that all four are AI-generated deepfakes, with no credible reports or official statements suggesting that Wangchuk has passed away.

What FaceOff Fact-Check Found

All four videos were digitally altered using AI-generated audio and manipulated visuals. No verified media outlet, government source, or defence authority has issued any statement mentioning Wangchuk’s death. The clips show clear signs of AI tampering, including unnatural facial movements, robotic tone, and repetitive speech patterns.

One of the fake videos featuring NDTV anchor Shiv Aroor uses the Aaj Tak studio background despite showing NDTV branding—an inconsistency Aroor himself highlighted online. Another video showing Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi was traced to his genuine speech at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue on November 27, 2025, where he made no mention of Wangchuk or any custodial incident.

FaceOff Fact-Check’s technical partners examined the videos, all of which detected strong evidence of synthetic audio.

Additionally, Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo confirmed that she met him on November 28, 2025, and verified that he is completely safe.