Noida Man Arrested for Creating and Distributing Deepfake Video of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

UP STF arrested a man for posting a 'deepfake' video of CM Yogi Adityanath, used to spread misinformation and support anti-national elements. The video, featuring a doctored face of the CM, contained misleading statements about the Pulwama attack and election campaigns. The video was traced to a Noida resident, Shyam Kishor Gupta, who aimed to disseminate fabricated content. Gupta was arrested under IPC sections for forgery and public mischief, as well as IT Act provisions. The Noida Cyber Crime police station is handling the investigation. Gupta, a self-proclaimed street vendors association president, was identified through his X profile.

A man was arrested here on Thursday by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly posting an AI-generated ''deepfake'' video of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, officials said.

The purported video was used to spread misleading information and strengthening anti-national elements, Additional Director General of Police (UP-STF) Amitabh Yash said.

The content of the controversial video is about the 2019 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir and the statements of politicians in campaigns for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

A deepfake video is a digitally altered video that convincingly swaps the face or voice of one person with another, often creating misleading or fabricated content.

''On May 1, an AI-generated deepfake video of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister went viral after it was posted on X from a handle. The video was used to spread misleading facts, strengthening anti-national elements,'' Yash said.

Shyam Kishor Gupta, a resident of Noida and native of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, had made the video with the objective of spreading misleading and objectionable content, which was circulated through his social media account, the police officer said.

An FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for cheating) and 505(2) (statement conducing to public mischief) and under provisions of the Information Technology Act was lodged at the Noida Cyber Crime police station as the Noida unit of the STF is investigating the case, Yash said.

''On Thursday, accused Shyam Kishor Gupta was arrested and further legal proceedings are being carried out at the local Cyber Crime Police Station in Noida,'' ADGP Yash, who is also the ADG (law and order) for the Uttar Pradesh Police, said.

On his X profile, Gupta identifies himself as the president of 'Rehri-Patri' (street vendors) welfare association.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)