Hyderabad Cyber Police Book 2 X Users Over Deepfake Videos of Congress Leaders

The Cyber Crime Police in Hyderabad have registered a case against two 'X' account holders for allegedly posting obscene deepfake videos targeting top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi.

The police action follows a complaint lodged by Telangana Congress MLC Venkat Balmoor. In his complaint, Balmoor stated that the posts on the social media platform contained vulgar deepfake videos targeting Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

According to the complaint, the videos were shared from accounts identified as Bharat Matrix (@xBharat) and Bhaskar Shastri (@Bhajos1S97051). Balmoor stated that the material circulated through these handles contributed to the spread of misinformation and inflammatory content. He urged authorities to examine the contents of the deepfake videos and investigate their dissemination.

Based on the MLC's complaint, officials at the Cyber Crime Police Station registered the case on August 27 under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A police official confirmed that further investigation is underway.

Reacting to the incident, Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib said targeting women leaders and the family of a martyr represents the lowest level of politics. He stated that obscene deepfake videos targeting sitting MPs, senior leaders, and Sonia Gandhi would not be tolerated and that individuals behind the accounts must face the law.