Rashmika Mandanna DeepFake Video Case: Delhi Police Arrests Bihar Youth; Probe On

Rashmika Mandanna DeepFake Video Case: In a significant development, the Delhi Police have arrested a 19-year-old youth from Bihar in connection with the deepfake video involving actress Rashmika Mandanna.

The viral video of that created a stir on social media was digitally manipulated and it featured Rashmika Mandanna's face on a social media influencer, Zara Patel's body. After investigation, the police arrested the youth and interrogated him. Officials on Wednesday disclosed that the youth was suspected of being the originator of the fabricated video.

It is believed that he initially uploaded the deepfake content on his social media account before sharing it widely on other platforms. A statement from a senior officer to PTI states that the police had issued a notice for him to join the investigation, considering the video's origin from his social media account.

On November 10, the Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit registered an FIR under sections 465 (punishment for forgery) and 469 (forgery for the purpose of harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act.

The arrested youth had initially claimed to have downloaded the video from an Instagram account, which led to the ongoing interrogation by law enforcement. The native of Bihar was summoned to appear before the IFSO Unit, where he was required to bring his mobile phone, which he used to upload the controversial video.

Simultaneously, following the FIR registration, the IFSO Unit reached out to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, seeking crucial details, including the URL, to identify the accused.