Hyderabad Police Book FB Page For AI Video Targeting Minister Sridhar Babu
The Hyderabad cybercrimes police have booked a criminal case against the administrators of the Facebook page 'BRS Party Manthani' for publishing a defamatory, abusive, and AI-manipulated video reel targeting Telangana Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu and Endowments department Principal Secretary Shailaja Ramaiyer.
The case was registered following a formal complaint lodged by Advocate Shashi Bushan Kashe, who also serves as a member of the State Advisory Committee of the Telangana State Electricity Commission. The police booked the case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 336(4) for forgery committed to damage reputation, 353(2) for public mischief, and 352 for circulating false information.
According to the complaint, the Facebook page published a video reel that created a false visual narrative suggesting corruption, embezzlement, and illegal enrichment by the minister and the principal secretary. Kashe stated that the content featured abusive language, derogatory captions, objectionable visual depictions, manipulated images, and malicious insinuations.
The complainant highlighted that the creators used artificial intelligence technology to fabricate and manipulate images of constitutional and public functionaries. He stated that such fabricated visuals could deceive viewers into believing the depicted events were genuine, thereby spreading misinformation and causing irreparable damage to the reputations of those involved.
The dispute relates to the recent Saraswati Pushkaram religious event held at Kaleshwaram. Sridhar Babu, who is the elected Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the Manthani constituency, played a key role in organizing the event. Shailaja Ramaiyer supervised and monitored the arrangements in her official capacity.
The complaint alleges that the administrators of the Facebook page took advantage of their official association with the event to circulate fabricated visuals, AI-generated images, and false allegations to portray them as corrupt officials who embezzled public money. Kashe described these allegations as completely false, baseless, and unsupported by any evidence.
In addition to registering the case, the complainant requested that the cybercrimes police take action to remove or block the defamatory reel from all social media platforms. The complainant also indicated suspicion regarding the involvement of two individuals, identified as Pudari Satyanarayana Goud of Ramgiri Mandal and Jakku Sravan of Kataram.
