Kerala Police registers case against X over AI video on PM and ECI

Kerala Police has registered a case against X and a user for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly portraying the PM and ECI in a misleading manner. Authorities said the content could impact free and fair elections in the poll-bound state

Thiruvananthapuram: The cyber wing of Kerala Police has registered a case against social media platform X and one of its handles for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly depicting the PM and ECI in a “misleading and defamatory manner”.

The video in question refers to the incident of an EC letter carrying the seal of the BJP’s Kerala unit, an issue which has turned into a political controversy in the poll-bound state.

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Police said that the video has not yet been removed from the X handle where it was posted.

Police, in a statement, further said the allegedly defamatory content was brought to its notice through official channels, including the Election Commission of India (ECI).

“Upon verification, it was assessed that the material had the potential to mislead the public, undermine the credibility of constitutional bodies, and adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections,” it said.

It said that a case was registered against the X (Twitter) account Laxmi N Raju (@valiant_Raju) and others, which include X Corp, at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram City, late Wednesday night, and an investigation has been commenced to ascertain culpability and take action in accordance with law.

The FIR was lodged under sections 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 336 (forgery), 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), 3(5) (common intention) and 174 (punishment for undue influence or personation at an election) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 66C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act.

According to the FIR, the 1 minute 17 second video was posted on the social media platform with the intention of causing unrest in society and X, despite directions from the authorities to delete the content, allowed it to be circulated.

Police said that necessary legal notices were issued to the intermediary platform under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and Rules, seeking expeditious removal of the unlawful content.

It further said that, in accordance with the Model Code of Conduct and applicable legal provisions, the Cyber Operations Wing of Kerala Police initiated immediate measures to prevent further circulation of the video.

“Members of the public are advised to exercise due caution and refrain from creating, sharing, or amplifying unverified or misleading content, particularly during the election period,” police said.

It also said that prompt, lawful and impartial action will be taken against any activity that disrupts or attempts to influence free and fair elections.

The controversy surfaced after CPI(M) flagged the issue on social media platform X, sharing an affidavit attached to a March 19, 2019 letter sent to political parties in the country that bore the BJP Kerala seal instead of the Election Commission’s official seal.

The EC had said it was “purely a clerical error” and had been rectified immediately. It had also said that the official responsible for the error has been placed under suspension.