In a concerning development, the Punjab Police Cyber Cell has initiated an FIR against Jagman Samra, a resident of Canada, for allegedly circulating fabricated videos featuring Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. The state’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has publicly denounced these videos as deepfakes and confirmed that court orders have been issued for their removal, while also issuing a strong warning to those propagating them.
The AAP addressed the issue via a social media post, stating, “A deep fake video of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Ji is being shared on social media by Right Wing Trolls. This video is completely fake, and an order to remove it has been issued by the honorable court.” This statement came amidst escalating controversy, following claims made by BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga that AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal was involved in the dissemination of these false clips.
Jagman Samra, who reportedly uploaded the videos on Facebook, is also said to have offered a reward of ₹5 crore to anyone who could definitively prove the videos were AI-generated. Authorities have registered the FIR under various sections of the BNS, including those related to the use of forged electronic records and statements intended to cause public mischief. Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, concerning the transmission of obscene material in electronic form, has also been invoked.
The FIR details suggest that the content posted by Samra was intended to foment enmity between different groups and could be detrimental to public harmony in Punjab. An inspector from the Cyber Cell filed the complaint, highlighting the content’s vulgarity and its potential to incite hatred. Preliminary investigations indicate that the material may indeed be AI-generated, raising further concerns about its authenticity and impact.
Further investigation will be conducted to ascertain the full truth and veracity of the alleged content, as stated in the FIR.