Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered criminal cases against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and several Facebook and Instagram accounts over the alleged circulation of morphed, AI-generated and objectionable content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar. The cases stem from complaints alleging that manipulated videos and images portraying the Prime Minister in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner were widely shared on Meta-owned social media platforms, raising concerns over misinformation, public order and the misuse of artificial intelligence.
According to the police, two separate complaints were filed by individuals who claimed to have encountered multiple altered videos and images of the Prime Minister while browsing Facebook and Instagram. Based on these complaints, cases have been registered against the India head of Meta and several unidentified social media accounts for allegedly facilitating or circulating objectionable content. Investigators said many of the videos and posts identified during the preliminary inquiry have either been deleted or are no longer accessible within India.
The first complaint was lodged by S. Arvind Reddy, a 29-year-old businessman, who alleged that he came across digitally manipulated videos and images depicting Prime Minister Modi in an obscene and derogatory manner while using Instagram. According to the complaint, some of the visuals also featured Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and included an edited image of US President Donald Trump. The complainant alleged that the content appeared to have been created or modified using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools before being circulated online.
Reddy contended that such fabricated content had the potential to mislead the public, spread misinformation, incite hatred, disturb public peace and damage the reputation of public figures. He further alleged that the circulation of such material could promote enmity among different sections of society and adversely affect law and order.
The second complaint was filed by T. Saikiran Goud, a Telangana BJP worker and member of the party's social media cell. Goud stated that while using Facebook and Instagram, he found objectionable Reels and morphed images relating to the Prime Minister. He urged authorities to investigate the accounts allegedly responsible for publishing content that he described as harmful to the sovereignty, integrity and public order of India.
Based on the complaints, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have invoked provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The offences include Section 66-C of the IT Act relating to identity theft, Section 67 concerning the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form, Section 353(2) of the BNS dealing with statements likely to create public disorder, and Section 336(4) concerning forged electronic records intended to damage a person's reputation. Police said the investigation is continuing to identify all individuals involved in the creation and dissemination of the alleged content.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of social media content during and after the CJP protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where several controversial posts and videos surfaced online. Authorities are examining whether AI-generated or digitally altered media were deliberately used to spread misinformation and inflame public sentiment.
Meanwhile, Meta informed the Uttarakhand High Court that it has strengthened its grievance redressal mechanism and is now taking immediate action on user complaints. The company's submission came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning fake social media accounts, objectionable online content, cyber extortion and delays in responding to user complaints.
Counsel appearing for Meta told the division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay that the company has revised its grievance redressal policy to ensure faster responses to complaints received from users. Taking note of the submission, the High Court asked the petitioner to suggest measures to address shortcomings in the functioning of social media platforms and recommend mechanisms to better prevent the misuse of digital platforms.
The case has once again highlighted the growing challenges posed by AI-generated content and digitally manipulated media, with law enforcement agencies, courts and technology companies facing increasing pressure to strike a balance between protecting free expression and preventing the spread of harmful, misleading and unlawful content online. As the investigation progresses, authorities are expected to examine the origin of the disputed posts, the role of platform moderation systems and whether additional safeguards are needed to curb the misuse of emerging technologies on social media.
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