Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video case: Main accused arrested

The main accused in the case related to actor Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video was arrested by the Delhi Police in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

A deepfake video of Mandanna went viral on social media in November 2023. In the video, the face of a British-Indian influencer, Zara Patel, in a black workout dress, was edited and replaced with that of the Bollywood actor.

After the incident, the Delhi Police filed a case in the matter under sections 465 (forgery) and 469 (harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and sections 66C (identity theft) and 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Rashmika Mandanna, known for her roles in films such as "Pushpa", "Mission Majnu" and the upcoming "Animal", had expressed concern over the misuse of technology after her deepfake video went viral. In a social media post, Mandanna said she was "really hurt" to see the video.

The video also prompted the government to issue a stern reminder to social media platforms, highlighting the legal provisions governing such deepfakes and the associated penalties.

Deepfake is a digital method where one can replace a person's likeness convincingly with that of another using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

In a similar case, a deepfake video of former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar surfaced on social media this week. In the edited video, Tendulkar is seen promoting an online game, giving the example of daughter Sara earning Rs 1.8 lakh per day by making predictions.

The Mumbai Police has registered a case against an unidentified person in connection with the video.