Karnataka Cyber Command Arrests Three in Rukmini Vasanth AI Deepfake Case
The Karnataka Cyber Command has arrested three people for allegedly creating and distributing AI generated obscene deepfake images and videos of Kannada actor Rukmini Vasanth. The arrests came after the actor filed a complaint with the Bangalore Cyber Crime Police Station over manipulated content that falsely showed her in a bikini photo shoot. Investigators said the accused used artificial intelligence and deep fake technology to superimpose her face onto another person’s body without consent, causing severe embarrassment and reputational harm. The case has been registered under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, along with multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 75(3), 79, 336, 356, 351, 352, and 294. 3c07
Police identified the main accused as 24 year old Ravikumar, a BSc Nursing student from Bagalkot, who allegedly ran a YouTube channel and created the deep fake videos to boost views and earn revenue. The second accused, 25 year old Ranjith Kumar, is a software engineer based in Bangalore who reportedly admitted to making AI generated videos of actresses for entertainment. The third, 33 year old Chandrakanth from Shivamogga who works at a chartered accountancy firm in Bangalore, also confessed to creating similar content for amusement. All three were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. e49a
Alongside the arrests, Bangalore Cyber Crime Police booked 29 social media accounts linked to the circulation of the fake content, 9 Instagram accounts, 14 X accounts, and 6 Facebook pages. Investigators found the accounts were fake with false addresses, but traced the suspects through URL IDs after obtaining data from Meta. Police seized three mobile phones believed to have been used to create and share the deep fakes, which have been sent for forensic analysis to recover digital evidence.
Rukmini Vasanth, known for Sapta Sagaradaache Ello and her role in Kantara: Chapter 2, publicly clarified that the viral bikini images and videos were “entirely fake and fabricated” and called their creation a “serious violation of privacy”. She urged people not to share the content and confirmed that legal action was being initiated. The Karnataka Cyber Command stated that creating and sharing non-consensual AI-generated explicit content is a serious criminal offence and warned of strict legal action against offenders. The investigation is ongoing to determine if more people were involved or if other women and celebrities were targeted.
- Veda
