A Ludhiana court has directed major social media platforms to immediately remove an alleged audio clip circulating online, in which a senior police official is purportedly heard demanding sexual favours.
The court’s order came in response to a petition filed by social activist Devinder Singh Kalra, who claimed that the content is likely AI-generated and falsely impersonates the voice of a senior law enforcement officer.
The petition, presented before Judicial Magistrate First Class Vibha Rana, argued that the circulated material contains voice-cloned audio and visuals that aim to defame and malign law enforcement personnel.
Kalra maintained that while the content may not have caused direct personal injury, its misleading nature and potential to disrupt public peace and erode trust in police institutions made it necessary for the court to intervene.
Kalra submitted several URLs and a pen drive containing the controversial videos, asserting that these digital materials are defamatory, deceptive, and damaging to the dignity of public institutions. He emphasised that such content, allegedly impersonating a police officer involved in a scandal, had no basis in verified facts and posed a serious threat to public order.
The court noted the plausibility of Kalra’s claim that the audio in question was synthetic speech generated using AI technology. Agreeing with the petitioner's counsel, the court observed that the content appeared to be unauthenticated, defamatory, and impersonative—elements that fall outside the boundaries of protected speech or public interest journalism.
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In its ruling, the court underscored that the continued circulation of such targeted digital content on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) could lead to a significant loss of public faith in governance and policing. The court stated that the dissemination of such materials without verification, particularly when intended to defame or impersonate, cannot be allowed to go unchecked.
Consequently, the court directed that no person, group, online page, or digital entity is permitted to upload, repost, tag, or circulate the disputed content or any similar material concerning the individuals or institutions involved. This restriction applies especially in cases where the content is unauthenticated, fabricated, or intended to damage the dignity of law enforcement personnel or institutions.
The order aims to curb the spread of potentially harmful and misleading digital content, ensuring both the protection of reputations and the maintenance of public order.
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