Rashmika Mandanna Deepfake Row: Main Accused Arrested, DCP - IFSO Confirms

Update: Delhi Police announced the apprehension of Eemani Naveen in connection with a widely circulated deepfake video featuring actor Rashmika Mandanna. The arrest took place in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur and the suspect has been sent to Delhi for interrogation.

More about the arrest made in Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake case

The arrest follows the filing of an FIR on November 10 under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code, related to forgery and forgery to harm reputation. Sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act were also invoked. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit of the Delhi Police's Special Cell initiated the action.

After registering the FIR, the IFSO Unit reached out to Meta to obtain the URL and other pertinent details to identify the individual responsible for creating and disseminating the deepfake video on social media.

DCP IFSO Unit Hemant Tiwari provided insights into the arrest and told ANI, "We've arrested the main accused identified as Eemani Naveen, 24, from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur. Laptop and mobile phone recovered from him. His deleted data is also being recovered. He used to run a fan page of a famous film actress (Rashmika Mandanna) and also created two more fan pages of another two noted celebrities. To increase the followers, he created the deepfake video. Further probe underway."

What was the Rashmika Mandanna video all about?

The deepfake video depicted a fabricated scenario featuring a woman named Zara Patel in an elevator, wearing a unitard with a plunging neckline, falsely portraying Rashmika Mandanna. The artificial intelligence-generated video gained widespread circulation on social media and prompted calls for stringent action against those responsible.

Addressing the distressing incident, Rashmika Mandanna took to Twitter on November 6 and expressed her concerns about the deepfake video. She addressed the broader issue of technology misuse and the vulnerability individuals face. The actress called for a collective response to tackle identity theft, highlighting the urgency of addressing these challenges within the community.

With Inputs from PTI and ANI.