A fake voter list featuring prominent South Indian actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Rakul Preet Singh has gone viral on social media, prompting swift action by authorities in Hyderabad. The Madhura Nagar Police confirmed on Thursday that the entries were fabricated using doctored images and falsified voter ID details.
The complaint, filed by Assistant Electoral Registration Officer Syed Yahiya Kamal, stated that the posts falsely claimed the actors were registered at the same Hyderabad address, using manipulated Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. Election officials described the misinformation as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and misuse official electoral data.
A case has been registered under Section 336(4) for forgery with the intent to harm another’s reputation, and 353(1)(C) for public mischief of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have begun tracing the origin of the posts and identifying those responsible for circulating them.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) issued a statement cautioning that sharing or forwarding unverified information could result in legal consequences. “Certain individuals are spreading false information, alleging that film actors were included in electoral rolls with modified photographs and invalid EPIC numbers,” the statement said.
The incident comes just weeks before the Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll, scheduled for November 11, with counting on November 14. Officials urged voters to rely solely on verified information from the Election Commission’s official platforms to prevent misinformation from influencing the electoral process.
