Court Rejects Bail for Man Accused of Creating Obscene Deepfake Videos of Amitabh Bachchan

A sessions court in Mumbai denied anticipatory bail to Abhijit Patil, an Uttrakhand-based man accused of posting obscene deepfake videos of actor Amitabh Bachchan on social media to promote sexual health products. The prosecution argued that granting bail would embolden cybercriminals. The investigation is still ongoing.

A sessions court in Mumbai denied the anticipatory bail application of Abhijit Patil, an Uttrakhand-based man accused of uploading obscene deepfake videos of actor Amitabh Bachchan on social media.

Patil, who operates an Ayurveda medicine firm in Rishikesh, faced allegations of creating and posting the videos to promote sexual health products. His plea was rejected by sessions judge V M Pathade, although the detailed order was not immediately available.

Patil claimed that the allegations were 'baseless, false, and fabricated,' asserting he had not committed any crime. However, the prosecution argued that granting bail to cybercriminals utilizing celebrities' identities for creating obscene videos emboldens them. Special public prosecutor Iqbal Solkar emphasized that the ongoing investigation would be impeded if Patil received bail. The prosecution further noted that the obscene videos had damaged Bachchan's global image. Bachchan’s legal team filed a complaint with Mumbai cyber police on May 4 after discovering several deepfake videos.