Rashmika Mandanna Deepfake Video: Delhi Police Arrests Culprit

Delhi Police announced the arrest of Eemani Naveen, a 24-year-old from Andhra Pradesh, for creating a deepfake video featuring actress Rashmika Mandanna. Naveen aimed to boost his Instagram followers by morphing Rashmika's face onto London-based influencer Zara Patel. The deepfake video gained widespread attention, triggering calls for social media regulations.

Naveen, previously managing fan pages for three celebrities, confessed to creating the video on October 13, 2023, to increase Rashmika's fan page followers. The tactic succeeded, raising followers from 90,000 to 108,000 in two weeks. Faced with public scrutiny, Naveen panicked, deleting posts, changing the channel name, and erasing digital data from his devices.

DCP IFSO Unit Hemant Tiwari confirmed Naveen's arrest, stating, "We've arrested the main accused... Laptop and mobile phone recovered... Deleted data is also being recovered."

In November 2023, the deepfake video prompted reactions from stars like Amitabh Bachchan, urging government intervention. Delhi Police, after FIR filing, tracked down and arrested Naveen, bringing relief to netizens and Rashmika's fans.

Meanwhile, Rashmika expressed gratitude on her Instagram, thanking Delhi Police for their swift action and for the supportive community.

-by Vishnupriya