The Delhi Police on Monday served a notice summoning Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who is also the state unit president of the Congress, over an allegedly doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that was shared on social media by the Telangana Congress.
In the original video, Shah was heard saying the BJP would remove the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims that exists in two Telugu states. The video was allegedly morphed using deepfake technology to make it seem like Shah was saying all reservations, including of SCs and STs, would be scrapped.
Officers from a special team constituted by the Delhi Police to look into the matter arrived at the Congress party office in Hyderabad on Monday and handed over the notice.
Reddy has been asked to appear with his mobile phone allegedly used for posting the fake video on X, they added. The summons come a day after the Delhi Police registered an FIR following complaints by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the BJP regarding tampered video of Amit Shah’s rally circulating on social media.
Meanwhile, a man was arrested by the Assam Police in connection with the fake video involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. The individual was identified as Reetom Singh, he added.
The Special Cell had registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant provisions of the IT Act. According to the complaint filed by Sinku Sharan Singh, DC, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), some doctored videos are being circulated on social media with “the intent of creating disharmony among communities which is likely to affect public tranquility and public order.”
According to the complainant, links from which the videos were shared were also attached for further action. A copy of the FIR was also sent to the IFSO unit of the Delhi Cyber Police.
The BJP earlier alleged that a video of Amit Shah addressing a rally in Telangana was circulated with the edited version which falsely showed him promising to remove the reservation of the SC-ST and OBC communities.
The complaint also alleged that the doctored video was allegedly shared by the official Telangana Congress’ X handle and thereafter, several party leaders reposted it.
Meanwhile, a team of the Delhi Police Cyber Cell on Monday left for Telangana to issue notice to social media handles for posting tampered video of Amit Shah in which he could purportedly be heard promising to scrap the reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs.
