Police register case against X user over deepfake video of Ranveer Singh

The cyber cell of Maharashtra police on Tuesday registered an FIR against an X user for allegedly uploading a 'deepfake' or manipulated video where actor Ranveer Singh appeared to be making an appeal to vote for Congress.

The First Information Report was registered on a complaint filed by the actor's father, Jugjeet Singh Bhavnani, against the user @sujataindia1st, an official said.

Deepfake videos are videos that have been altered, in a convincing way, to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said. Recently, city police had registered an FIR against an unidentified person in connection with a similar deepfake video of actor Aamir Khan where he was purportedly seen promoting a political party.

Ranveer Singh gave an interview to the media while he was in Varanasi to promote a fashion show and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as per his father's complaint. As per the FIR, the actor said "it is Modi ji's purpose and goal to celebrate our rich culture, heritage, history, and legacy because we are moving ahead towards modernity very fast but we should never forget our roots, our cultural heritage."

But X account holder @sujataindia1st made a deepfake video in which he is heard saying it is "Modi ji's purpose and goal to celebrate our painful life, fear, and unemployment because we are moving ahead towards injustice but we should never stop asking for our development and justice, vote for justice, vote for Congress," the FIR said. Ranveer Singh never said this, and he does not have any relation with any political party, his father said in the complaint. The FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code including 417 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 469 (forgery for the purpose of harming reputation) and sections of the Information Technology Act, and further probe was on, the official said.