A man was arrested on Thursday by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly sharing an AI-generated "deepfake" video featuring Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, officials said.
The purported video was used to spread misleading information and strengthening anti-national elements, stated Additional Director General of Police (UP-STF) Amitabh Yash.
The video in question pertained to the 2019 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, alongside statements made by politicians during campaigns for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
A deepfake video is a digitally manipulated video that that convincingly swaps the face or voice of one person with another, often creating misleading or fabricated content.
"On May 1, an AI-generated deepfake video of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister went viral after being posted on X from a particular handle. The video was employed to spread misleading information, bolstering anti-national elements," Yash stated.
Shyam Kishor Gupta, a Noida resident and native of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly created the video with the intention of disseminating misleading and objectionable content. This content was circulated through his social media account, according to the police.
An FIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for cheating) and 505(2) (statement conducing to public mischief), along with provisions of the Information Technology Act, at the Noida Cyber Crime police station. The Noida unit of the STF is handling the investigation, Yash mentioned.
"On Thursday, accused Shyam Kishor Gupta was apprehended, and further legal proceedings are underway at the local Cyber Crime Police Station in Noida," added ADGP Yash, who also serves as the ADG (law and order) for the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Gupta identifies himself as the president of the 'Rehri-Patri' (street vendors) welfare association on his X profile.
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