Man arrested for posting AI-generated defamatory images of Indian PM
A man was arrested in Bihar for allegedly using AI to create and share defamatory synthetic images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other political figures on social media. Police suspect the content was intended to mislead the public and disturb public order, and are investigating its extent of spread.
What happened
Siddhnath Kumar, arrested from Bihar's Arwal district, allegedly used AI to create objectionable images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his mobile phone and circulated them through multiple social media accounts.
The accused also shared morphed images of a female Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and a female foreign leader. Police suspect the content was uploaded with the intention of misleading people and disturbing public order.
Reported impact
Police are investigating the extent of the content's spread and the networks through which it was circulated.
Index analysis
The Centre amended the Information Technology laws regarding the use of AI. Under the Information Technology (Amendment) Rules, 2026, AI-generated content can no longer conceal the source, with the law aiming to ensure that every AI-generated creation can be traced back to its origin.
Governance controls
A case was registered against the accused with the Special Cell in Lodhi Colony under sections 336(4) (forgery), 356 (defamation) and 351(1) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.