In a significant development, the Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit have apprehended a 24-year-old, identified as Eemani Naveen, for allegedly creating and disseminating a deepfake video featuring popular actor Rashmika Mandanna. The deepfake video had triggered concerns from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other notable personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan.
Naveen, a B-tech graduate from a reputed engineering college in Chennai and a resident of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, is believed to be the mastermind behind the creation and posting of the controversial deepfake videos on various social media platforms. The arrest comes after nationwide controversy and widespread discussions on digital safety, as the deepfake AI-generated video portrayed Mandanna entering a lift in a black swimsuit.
DCP Hemant Tiwari, head of the IFSO Unit, provided details during a press briefing, stating, “We’ve arrested the main accused identified as Eemani Naveen, from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur. Laptop and mobile phone recovered from him. His deleted data is also being recovered…He used to run a fan page of a famous film actress (Rashmika Mandanna) and also created two more fan pages of another two noted celebrities.”
Naveen, who operated a fan page for Rashmika Mandanna and created similar pages for two other celebrities, reportedly became apprehensive when the videos gained national attention. “Later when he realized that it became a national sensation, he got scared and deleted the said posts from the Instagram Channel and also changed the name of the Insta channel. He had also deleted the relevant digital data from his devices,” explained the senior police officer.
The investigation revealed that the deepfake video was posted on October 13, 2023, and Naveen, a fan of the actress, created it to boost the followers of the fan page. The fan following reportedly surged from 90,000 to 1,08,000 within two weeks due to the controversial video.
On further interrogation, Naveen disclosed that he pursued B tech and obtained certification in Digital Marketing from Google Garage in 2019. The recovered laptop and three mobile phones are expected to provide additional insights into the creation and dissemination of the deepfake videos.
The arrest signifies the efforts of law enforcement in addressing the challenges posed by deepfake technology and ensuring the accountability of those involved in its misuse. Further details on the ongoing investigation are awaited.
