In a recent development, Delhi Police successfully apprehended the mastermind behind a viral deepfake video featuring Bollywood actor Rashmika Mandanna. The accused, identified as Eemani Naveen, was an engineer with the motive of increasing followers on his Instagram fan page.
The deepfake video, which gained widespread attention on social media last year, showcased Rashmika Mandanna’s face superimposed on a video of British-Indian influencer Zara Patel. This incident sparked discussions on the misuse of technology, prompting influential celebrities to express their concerns.
During the police interrogation, Naveen, a resident of Pedanandipadu village in Guntur, revealed that he created the deepfake video to boost followers on a fan page dedicated to Rashmika Mandanna. Naveen, a fan himself, managed fan pages for three celebrities and successfully increased Rashmika Mandanna’s fan following from 90,000 to 1,08,000 within two weeks by posting the deepfake video on October 13, 2023.
As the deepfake video garnered national attention and faced criticism, Naveen panicked and deleted the posts from the Instagram channel. He also changed the channel’s name and erased relevant digital data from his devices.
Eemani Naveen holds a Btech in Electronics and Communication and obtained a certification in Digital Marketing from Google Garage in 2019. Developing a keen interest in digital media, he completed courses in website development, Photoshop, video editing, and search engine optimization. Upon returning to his village in March 2023, Naveen started offering services such as Photoshop, Instagram channel promotion, YouTube video creation/editing, and search engine optimization from home.
The case unfolded when a complaint was filed, alleging the circulation of a deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna on various social media platforms. The original video had been uploaded by a British Indian girl on her Instagram account in October 2023. A subsequent deepfake video of the actress was created and circulated.
In response to the complaint, Delhi Police registered a case under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code for forgery and maligning the reputation of a person. Additionally, Section 66C (identity theft) and Section 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 were invoked.
The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit initiated an investigation, examining over 500 social media accounts linked to the alleged deepfake videos. The Cyber Lab conducted a meticulous analysis, leading to the interrogation of several social media account holders across India.
After extensive analysis and interrogation, the IFSO Unit traced the Instagram account of the accused to Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur. Following his arrest, Eemani Naveen was brought to Delhi, where he confessed to committing the crime during questioning.
This incident sheds light on the misuse of technology and the potential consequences of creating and circulating deepfake content on social media platforms. It also emphasizes the importance of maintaining ethical practices and responsible use of digital tools in the online space.