The CB-CID Cyber Crime Wing has arrested a 28-year-old man from Rajasthan for allegedly circulating AI-generated deepfake videos of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to target people seeking financial assistance and cheat them, as reported in The New Indian Express.
The accused, identified as Shyabu Khan of Alwar, was arrested on Saturday with the assistance of the Rajasthan Police. Investigators seized mobile phones, SIM cards and a CPU allegedly used in the offence.
Khan was subsequently brought to Tamil Nadu on a transit warrant and remanded in judicial custody on Sunday, according to a CB-CID release.
The case was registered on September 1 after the Cyber Crime Wing detected the videos during cyber patrolling. The AI-generated videos, which featured Hindi audio and purportedly showed the Chief Minister, were circulated through Facebook and other online platforms.
According to the police, the videos were used to lure people seeking financial assistance and induce them to part with money.
During the investigation, officers tracing Khan’s digital footprint identified a person in Madhya Pradesh who had allegedly fallen victim to the fraud. The victim’s statement, along with other evidence collected in Madhya Pradesh, has strengthened the case, police said.
Investigators have also detected similar AI-generated videos being circulated through Facebook accounts purportedly operated from Pakistan.
The CB-CID is now probing whether the Pakistan-based accounts have any connection with Khan or the present case. Police are also examining whether Khan acted independently or was part of a larger network involved in creating and circulating the deepfake videos.
The investigation is continuing.
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