Couple in viral Pahalgam dance video, mistaken for Navy officer Vinay Narwal and wife, speaks out
A misleading viral video falsely claims to show Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife, Himanshi Sowami, dancing just hours before Tuesday’s attack.
A misleading video circulating on social media falsely claims to show Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife, Himanshi Sowami, dancing just hours before Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam. The officer’s family has denied the claim, and the couple in the video has come forward to clarify that it is theirs and not of the Narwals, stating that the footage is being misused.
What’s the viral video?
The 19-second clip shows a young couple dancing against the scenic backdrop of Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley, swaying to the popular Coke Studio song Jhol. It was widely shared with a caption claiming it was the last video of Lieutenant Narwal and his wife during their Pahalgam trip, before he was tragically killed in a terrorist attack targetting tourists on April 22.
Couple issues clarification
After the video went viral, travel content creators Ashish Sehrawat and Yashika Sharma identified themselves as the couple in the clip. Speaking to HT.com, Sehrawat, who works for the Indian Railways, confirmed the video was recorded on April 14 during their vacation in Kashmir. Sehrawat also shared a screenshot with HT.com, displaying the video's metadata which showed that it was recorded on April 14.
The couple shared the video on their social media on Tuesday, the same day as the attack but took it down once they received backlash.
"We started receiving backlash for posting a video from the same location where the attack happened, so we took it down. But by then, someone had already started circulating it with a false claim that it showed Vinay Narwal and his wife," Sehrawat said.
‘Misusing our video’
In response, the couple posted a video to social media confirming they are safe and denouncing the viral claim.
"We are alive. We don’t know how our video is being spread this way. It’s heartbreaking that it's being falsely linked to a tragic incident. Our sincere condolences go out to Lieutenant Narwal’s family. Please report any posts misusing our video," Sharma, who works as a flight attendant, said.
The couple shared that their friends and family were initially alarmed by the viral claims, fearing the worst after seeing the video online.
"It was frightening for us but more than that, imagine how painful it must have been for the family who lost someone they loved, only to see a stranger’s video being circulated as their last memory," she added.
Viral image shows Navy officer
The viral image of a grief-stricken woman sitting beside her husband, which moved the nation, has been confirmed by multiple family members to show 2 Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife, Himanshi.
Lt Narwal had travelled to Pahalgam after their wedding reception on April 16. He was on leave from work to celebrate their honeymoon. They dreamt of a honeymoon in Switzerland but visa delays made them change their plans. They chose to go to Pahalgam, which is often called India's ‘Mini Switzerland’.
Himanshi broke down at Lt Narwal's funeral surrounded by fellow officers and family members. “I hope his soul rests in peace. He lived a good life. It is because of him that the world is still surviving. And we should all be proud of him, in every way,” she said.
