IN | Incident Report
Deepfake Crime
2026-01-09
Uttarakhand cybercrime cell files case over Modi/Dhami deepfake tied to murder case
AI Model: Unspecified generative AI tool
I. Executive Summary
Uttarakhand’s state cybercrime cell registered a case against unidentified persons over an AI-generated deepfake video linked to the Rishikesh resort murder case.
Police said the video misused the names, faces and voices of India’s Prime Minister and the state’s Chief Minister and contained misleading, objectionable content.
Investigators said the case was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act and that efforts are underway to identify those behind the video.
II. Key Facts
- A complainant reported finding an AI-generated deepfake video on social media linked to the Rishikesh resort murder case.
- Police said the video misused the likeness and voice of the Prime Minister and the Uttarakhand Chief Minister.
- The cybercrime cell registered a case against unidentified persons and opened an investigation to trace the source.
- Police cited sections 196, 197 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the IT Act.
III. Regulatory & Ethical Implications
This case shows how deepfakes are being pursued through criminal-law and IT-law pathways, including defamation and public-order theories.
Advisers should treat synthetic-media incidents as time-sensitive: preserve platform evidence, coordinate rapid legal notices and takedown workflows, and anticipate downstream evidentiary disputes if the content is raised in related proceedings.