A picture is going viral on social media showing a Muslim man performing the last rites according to Hindu customs. The image is being linked to the COVID period and claimed to be from Muzaffarnagar. It is being said that the person seen in the picture is Mohammad Yunus, who gave the funeral fire (mukhagni) to Anubhav Sharma’s pyre. Since Anubhav’s family did not come forward for the last rites, Yunus had to perform the final rites of his friend himself.
This old image of Mohammad Yunus at Anubhav Sharma’s cremation has gone viral in the wake of rising tension after the Pahalgam attack where Hindu tourists were targeted and brutally killed and serious concerns are being raised against rising Islamic fundamentalism. This image is being used with the aim of guilt-tripping those who are raising legitimate concerns about Islamic fundamentalism by presenting it as a symbol of interfaith solidarity.
Sharing the picture, the handle Kavish Aziz wrote, “This picture is from Muzaffarnagar. Mohammad Yunus performed the last rites of Anubhav Sharma by giving the funeral fire. When Anubhav’s family did not come forward for the cremation after his passing, this friend wearing a cap, with tears in his eyes, stepped up to carry out the rituals. His tears wouldn’t stop, yet understanding the risk, he fulfilled his duty. This image is from the second wave of COVID—I thought it was worth reminding.” (Archived link)
ये तस्वीर मुजफ्फरनगर की है
— Kavish Aziz (@azizkavish) April 28, 2025
अनुभव शर्मा की चिता को मुखाग्नि दिया था मोहम्मद यूनुस ने
दोस्त के न रहने पर जब उसके परिजन अंतिम संस्कार को सामने नहीं आए तो आँख में आंसू लिए ये टोपी वाला दोस्त क्रिया कर्म को तैयार हुआ।
उसकी आँख के आंसू रुकने का नाम नहीं ले रहे थे पर उसने रिस्क को… pic.twitter.com/NniUoNoacm
Another handle stated, “This picture from Muzaffarnagar is from the second wave of COVID. Mohammad Yunus lit the pyre of his friend Anubhav Sharma. When Anubhav’s family did not come forward for the funeral, Yunus, with tears in his eyes, performed the last rites for his friend. Despite knowing the risk, he fulfilled the duty of friendship.” (Archived link)
मुज़फ्फरनगर की ये तस्वीर कोविड की दूसरी लहर की है।
— ＵＭＭＡＨ (@we_youngesters) April 28, 2025
मोहम्मद यूनुस ने अपने दोस्त अनुभव शर्मा की चिता को मुखाग्नि दी।
जब अनुभव के परिवार वाले अंतिम संस्कार के लिए नहीं आए,
तो यूनुस ने आंसुओं के साथ अपने दोस्त के लिए ये रस्म निभाई।
खतरे को जानते हुए भी उसने दोस्ती का फर्ज़ पूरा किया। pic.twitter.com/WxleWjBYIl
This same claim was also made by other handles like Ishu Gurjar (Archived link), Teesri Jung (Archived link), and Mahfoozur Rahman (Archived link).
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Fact Check
During our fact check, we took some keywords from this viral claim and conducted a Google search. In the process, we found a report by Swarajya dated April 29, 2021. We discovered that during the second wave of Covid, this image had also gone viral with the narrative that when Anubhav Sharma’s family members refused to perform his last rites, his friend Mohammad Yunus stepped forward and lit his funeral pyre. When Swarajya investigated this claim, they uncovered the actual truth.
In the report, we found that Swarajya’s correspondent had reached out to the deceased Anubhav Sharma’s brother, Sharad Sharma, on April 29, 2021. Sharad stated that the narrative circulating on social media—that his family had refused to perform Anubhav’s last rites—was false. In reality, Anubhav’s entire family was present for the cremation, and Sharad himself performed the last rites (Mukhagni) for his brother with his own hands. Members of the Hindu community, relatives, and other family members were all present.
Sharad further explained that Mohammad Yunus works as a driver for the Sharma family and is also a close friend of both Anubhav and Sharad. He added that the viral photo shows Yunus adding a powder called raal (funeral resin) to the pyre. This substance is used to help the fire burn more effectively. Prior to Yunus, the priest had already added 5 kilograms of raal to the pyre, but no photos of that were circulated.
Sharad said, “Anybody standing at the pyre can add raal. It’s a gesture of togetherness. There is no issue with that. But I want to make it absolutely clear that I was the one who performed Anubhav’s last rites.”
Sharad expressed his displeasure regarding the narrative circulating on social media and said that he was hurt by it. He further clarified that his brother did not die due to Covid. Anubhav had been experiencing sharp chest pain for 4–5 days before his death. The doctor had said that the pain was related to cervical issues.
Since it was during the Covid period, hospitals were already facing shortages of beds, oxygen, and other resources, which is why they couldn’t find a hospital bed for Anubhav. Sharad also pointed out that if his brother had died due to Covid, would the authorities have allowed him to perform the funeral rites in this manner? “Of course not,” he said.
Sharad said that he is also a reporter and runs his own media publication. He could have issued a clarification regarding the circulating narrative through Facebook or his media platform, but given what he is currently going through, he hasn’t even opened his social media accounts.
Later, we also found a post by Swati Goel Sharma on X dated April 30, 2021, where she shared pictures of Sharad performing the last rites of Anubhav Sharma. In these pictures, it is clearly visible that Sharad is placing wood on his brother’s pyre, while Yunus is also present on the other side. However, for the sake of social media propaganda, only Yunus’s picture was circulated, accompanied by a false claim.
In her post, Swati also mentioned a phone call between her and Anubhav, during which Anubhav revealed that the first media publication to spread this fake news was Amar Ujala. They used Yunus’s photo out of context in their report and, based on that, made false claims in their coverage.
In conclusion, the image of Mohammad Yunus scattering funeral resin on Anubhav Sharma’s pyre is being circulated with false claims. It was not Yunus who performed Anubhav’s last rites, but his own brother, Sharad Sharma. However, this viral image was used to push a misleading narrative—that Anubhav died of Covid, and since his family refused to perform the funeral, his friend Yunus had to take on the responsibility. In reality, Anubhav died due to a cervical-related issue, not Covid. His last rites were performed in the presence of his family and the Hindu community. Yunus, a close friend of Anubhav and the family’s driver, was present at the cremation site to stand in solidarity and assist during the final rites.
| Claim | In 2021, in Muzaffarnagar, a Muslim man named Mohammad Yunus was reported to have performed the last rites of Anubhav Sharma after his family allegedly refused to do so. |
| Claimed by | Kavish Aziz and others |
| Fact Check | The image of Mohammad Yunus scattering funeral resin on Anubhav Sharma’s pyre is being shared with false claims. Anubhav’s last rites were performed by his brother Sharad Sharma, not Yunus. The narrative that his family refused due to Covid is untrue—Anubhav died of a cervical issue, and the funeral took place in the presence of his family and community. Yunus, a close friend and the family’s driver, was simply assisting at the cremation. |
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