Jaipur: Rajasthan Police has arrested four individuals in connection with the circulation of a fake letter and AI-generated videos falsely attributed to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The case has raised concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to spread misinformation and impersonate public figures.
According to DCP Jaipur (South) Rajshree Raj, three of the accused, Nikhil, Bilal Khan, and Inam Ahmed, were arrested from Bhopal, while the fourth accused, Amrita Dhumal, was arrested from Mohali. All four were brought to Jaipur on Wednesday for further questioning.
Police investigations revealed that the accused created and circulated a fabricated letter purportedly written by Vasundhara Raje to RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat. The fake letter was widely shared on social media and was also converted into video format using AI-based tools to make it appear like a legitimate news broadcast.
Officials said the viral content included a manipulated video clip criticising the central government over the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill, falsely suggesting that Vasundhara Raje had written to Mohan Bhagwat expressing dissent. The video allegedly used the branding and logo of a news channel without permission, prompting the channel to file a complaint.
A case was registered under relevant sections related to forgery, impersonation, and the circulation of misleading digital content. Police are now working to identify other individuals involved and to determine whether a larger network was behind the operation.
The arrests also triggered a political response. Sources indicate that three of the accused are allegedly linked to the Congress IT cell. When they were initially detained in Bhopal, Congress leaders, including MP Vivek Tankha and Madhya Pradesh Congress in-charge Harish Chaudhary, objected to the police action.
In a post on X, Harish Chaudhary termed the detention unlawful and said it violated democratic values, alleging it was an attempt to suppress dissent. Vivek Tankha also described the action as surprising and disappointing.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Police stated that the action was based on evidence and aimed at tackling the growing misuse of AI in spreading misinformation. Further investigation is underway to trace the origin of the fake content and uncover the full network involved.
