AI-Generated Deepfake Videos of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Spread Online
Deepfake videos of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann allegedly created using AI were posted on Facebook by a Canada-based individual in October 2025, sparking a police investigation. The creator claimed the videos were authentic and offered substantial rewards to anyone who could prove otherwise.
What happened
Between 20-21 October 2025, deepfake videos purporting to show Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in compromising situations were posted to Facebook by Canada-based NRI Jagman Singh Samra, a resident of Sangrur district. The first video was posted around 2 AM on 20 October, and a second on the morning of 21 October.
Samra claimed to possess 11 videos total and offered a reward of 10 million dollars to anyone who could prove them fake. He stated that remaining clips would be released progressively.
Reported impact
The videos spread rapidly across social media platforms and were linked to accounts operating from outside India. Police stated the content was obscene, inflammatory, and violated laws, with potential to incite communal discord and disrupt public peace in Punjab.
Index analysis
Initial police investigation indicated the videos were deepfakes created using artificial intelligence technology deliberately designed to damage the Chief Minister's reputation and spread misinformation. The deployment of AI to generate the synthetic media content occurred prior to public circulation.
Governance controls
Punjab Police's Mohali Cyber Crime Cell registered a case against Samra and nine others accused of sharing the videos under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (criminal falsification of electronic records, public mischief, criminal intimidation, forgery to damage reputation) and Section 67 of the IT Act 2000 (circulation of obscene material in electronic form). A court subsequently issued directions to Facebook and Instagram regarding the content.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.