The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered two separate criminal cases against the India head of Meta and several Facebook and Instagram accounts over the alleged circulation of morphed and objectionable images and videos depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The complainants alleged that digitally manipulated, AI-generated content portraying the Prime Minister was circulated on social media platforms, potentially misleading the public, disturbing public order and creating social unrest. Police have initiated an investigation under various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The first case was registered following a complaint filed by 29-year-old businessman S. Aravind Reddy from Hyderabad. According to the complaint, while browsing Instagram he encountered multiple digitally altered videos and images allegedly depicting Prime Minister Modi in an obscene and misleading manner. The complainant alleged that one manipulated visual showed the Prime Minister alongside Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in an objectionable manner, while another edited image featured US President Donald Trump. The complaint further claimed that the content had been digitally manipulated or generated using artificial intelligence before being circulated on social media platforms.
The complainant alleged that such content had the potential to mislead the public, spread misinformation, disturb public peace and undermine public decency and the reputation of public figures. The complaint further stated that such posts could encourage hostility among different sections of society and therefore required a thorough criminal investigation to identify those responsible for creating and distributing the material.
The second case was registered on the complaint of T. Saikiran Goud, a Telangana BJP social media functionary. He alleged that he came across several objectionable reels and morphed images on Facebook and Instagram, which, according to him, were prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and public order of India. In his complaint, he sought an investigation into the accounts allegedly responsible for publishing and circulating the content and requested appropriate legal action against those involved.
Following the complaints, some of the allegedly objectionable posts were removed from the social media platforms, while several others became inaccessible to users in India. Investigators are now examining when the content was uploaded, how long it remained available online, how widely it was viewed and shared, and the role played by the accounts involved in its dissemination. Digital evidence is being preserved and subjected to technical analysis to identify the origin and distribution of the material.
Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered both cases under Sections 66C (identity theft) and 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, along with Sections 353(2) (statements conducive to public mischief) and 336(4) (forged electronic record harming reputation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are also examining whether the content formed part of an organized online campaign, a coordinated digital network or involved individuals or entities operating from outside India.
As part of the investigation, police will conduct forensic analysis of the relevant social media accounts, IP logs, upload histories, server-related information and other electronic evidence. Technical information may also be sought from the concerned social media platforms wherever required. Officials stated that further legal action will depend on the evidence collected during the investigation. They emphasized that all allegations remain subject to verification through the investigative and judicial process, and that the accused parties retain the legal right to present their defence before the appropriate authorities and courts.
