The Delhi Police made an arrest on Saturday regarding the deep fake video scandal involving Bollywood actor Rashmika Mandanna. The alleged mastermind behind the creation and circulation of the deepfake video, identified as Eemani Naveen, an engineer by profession, was apprehended. During the investigation, Naveen admitted that his motive behind posting the deepfake was to enhance the follower count on one of his Instagram fan pages dedicated to Rashmika Mandanna.
The deepfake video, featuring Rashmika Mandanna's face superimposed on a video of British-Indian influencer Zara Patel, gained widespread attention for its realistic appearance and raised concerns about the misuse of technology. Influential celebrities voiced their concerns regarding the inappropriate use of deepfake technology.
In the course of interrogation, Naveen revealed details about his modus operandi in cybercrime. Hailing from Pedanandipadu village in Guntur, Naveen managed fan pages for three prominent celebrities, including Rashmika Mandanna. To boost the follower count of Rashmika Mandanna's fan page, he created and posted the deepfake video on October 13, 2023. The tactic proved successful, increasing the fan following from 90,000 to 1,08,000 within two weeks.
As the deepfake video garnered national attention and 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. He developed a keen interest in digital media, completing courses in website development, Photoshop, video editing, and search engine optimization.
The case unfolded when a complaint was filed about the circulation of a deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna on various social media platforms. Delhi Police registered a case under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for forgery and maligning a person's reputation. 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 of the videos, leading to the interrogation of several social media account holders across India. The IFSO Unit traced the Instagram account of the accused to Andhra Pradesh's Guntur, leading to Naveen's arrest.
