Delhi Police on Saturday arrested the main accused behind the deepfake video of Bollywood actor Rashmika Mandanna which went viral on social media last year. The mastermind behind the deepfake video, identified as Eemani Naveen, was an engineer and allegedly wanted to boost followers on his Instagram handle.
In the deepfake video, Rashmika Mandanna's face was superimposed on a video of British-Indian influencer Zara Patel.
The deepfake video, which appeared very real, sparked a discussion on the inappropriate use of technology, prompting numerous influential celebrities to voice their concerns.
During the interrogation, the accused shed light on the modus operandi behind cybercrime.
REVELATIONS BY ACCUSED
According to police sources, the accused Eemani Naveen is a native of Pedanandipadu village in Guntur and made the deepfake video to increase followers of one of the fanpages of Rashmika Mandanna he ran on social media.
Naveen, a fan of Rashmika Mandanna, revealed that he managed fan pages for three noted celebrities. To boost the followers of Rashmika Mandanna's fan page, he created and posted the deepfake video on October 13, 2023.
The tactic successfully increased the fan following from 90,000 to 1,08,000 within two weeks.
However, as the deepfake video gained national attention and drew widespread 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.
WHO IS EEMANI NAVEEN?
Naveen holds a Btech in Electronics and Communication, and acquired a certification in Digital Marketing from Google Garage, an online learning platform, in 2019.
Later, he developed a keen interest in digital media, completing courses in website development, Photoshop, video editing, and search engine optimisation.
Returning to his village in March 2023, Naveen started providing services such as Photoshop, Instagram channel promotion, YouTube video creation/editing, and search engine optimisation from home.
BACKGROUND OF THE CASE
The case unfolded when a complaint was filed, alleging the circulation of a deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna on various social media platforms. A preliminary investigation revealed that the original video had been uploaded by a British Indian girl on her Instagram account in October 2023. Subsequently, a deepfake video of the noted film actress was created and circulated.
Following the outrage, Delhi Police registered a case in the matter under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 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 also invoked.
OPERATION AND ARREST
Following the complaint, 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 then conducted a meticulous analysis of the videos, 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. He confessed to committing the crime during questioning.
Published By:
Sahil Sinha
Published On:
Jan 20, 2024
English (US) ·