Main accused in Rashmika Mandanna deepfake case now in police custody

Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake case has taken an interesting turn as the main culprit behind the same has finally been arrested. On Saturday, the Delhi Police claimed to have arrested the main culprit who was involved in Rashmika’s deepfake case. Reportedly, a video of British influencer Zara Patel was morphed where her picture was superimposed by the actress’s face.   A deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna was widely circulated on social media in November 2023. In the video, Zara Patel, dressed in a black workout dress, was replaced with that of the Bollywood actor. In the aftermath, the Delhi Police filed a case under Sections 465 (forgery), 469 (harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and Sections 66C (identity theft) and 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and began the investigation.

The Animal actress, known for her roles in films such as Pushpa, Mission Majnu, and Animal, expressed concern over the misuse of technology saying that she was “really hurt” to see the video. The video also prompted several celebrities and government officials to come out and call out the incident. The government even issued a reminder highlighting the legal provisions governing such deepfakes. As the investigation into the Rashmika case was ongoing, similar deepfake videos involving Alia Bhatt, Kajol, and Sachin Tendulkar also went viral. Delhi Police, since November, has been interrogating several social media users regarding Rashmika’s deepfake case. Now, months later into the investigation, the Delhi Police has tracked down four suspects associated with uploading the video online.

I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.

Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.…

— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023

In a similar case, a deepfake video of former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also went viral in which he can be seen promoting an online game. He also suggests that his daughter Sara earns Rs 1.8 lakh per day by making predictions. The legendary cricketer, on X, clarified, “These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and fake news. @GoI_MeitY, @Rajeev_GoI and @MahaCyber1.”