Delhi Police achieved a significant breakthrough on Saturday by apprehending the primary suspect responsible for the dissemination of a deepfake video featuring Bollywood actor Rashmika Mandanna. The viral video, skillfully manipulated to showcase Mandanna's likeness on British-Indian influencer Zara Patel's footage, prompted widespread discussions on the misuse of technology, compelling influential personalities to express their concerns.

The mastermind behind this deceptive creation, identified as Eemani Naveen, a qualified engineer, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the stunt with the aim of elevating his Instagram following. Naveen, a resident of Pedanandipadu village in Guntur, disclosed during interrogation that he managed fan pages for three renowned celebrities. His motivation behind the deepfake video was to boost the followership of Rashmika Mandanna's fan page, which he operated on social media platforms.

Naveen, an admirer of Mandanna, admitted to crafting and sharing the deepfake video on October 13, 2023, to augment the fanbase. However, as the video garnered attention from actors and industry stalwarts, including Amitabh Bachchan, who condemned its creation, Naveen succumbed to fear, promptly deleting the video and altering his Instagram channel's name. The subsequent police investigation involved analyzing at least 500 social media accounts, but the original creator remained elusive.

The case unfolded when a complaint was lodged, alleging the circulation of a deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna. A preliminary investigation revealed the original video's source and traced it back to a British Indian girl's Instagram account in October 2023. Subsequently, a deepfake video featuring the actress was created and circulated, leading to the registration of a case by Delhi Police under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for forgery and defamation. Additionally, charges under Section 66C (identity theft) and Section 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 were invoked.

The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit, in collaboration with the Cyber Lab, undertook a comprehensive investigation, scrutinizing over 500 social media accounts linked to the alleged deepfake videos. Following meticulous analysis and interrogation, the IFSO Unit successfully traced the Instagram account of the accused to Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Eemani Naveen was subsequently arrested, and he confessed to the crime during questioning.

Naveen, a Btech graduate in Electronics and Communication, possessed a certification in Digital Marketing from Google Garage. His journey into digital media, marked by courses in website development, Photoshop, video editing, and search engine optimization, eventually led him to offer services in his hometown. The Delhi Police's strategic operation and relentless pursuit resulted in the apprehension of the deepfake video creator, bringing justice to the forefront.