Delhi Police have arrested the key accused in the case related to actress Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video which triggered protests across India last year.

According to reports, the suspect was arrested from Andhra Pradesh.

After the incident, the Delhi Police filed a case in the matter under sections 465 (forgery) and 469 (harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and sections 66C (identity theft) and 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, reported India Today.

What was in the video all about?

The video in question originally featured social media influencer Zara Patel.

However, in the Deepfake video, her face was changed to Rashmika's.

Indian government's reaction

Indian IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday (November 6, 2023) reacted to a 'deepfake' video featuring actor Rashmika Mandanna and reminded social media platforms of their legal obligations to fight misinformation.

The Minister said under the IT rules notified in April, 2023 - it is a legal obligation for platforms to ensure no misinformation is posted by any user and to remove it within 36 hours when reported by any user or government.

What is deepfake?

According to Encyclopedia Britannica website, Deepfake, synthetic media, including images, videos, and audio, generated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology that portray something that does not exist in reality or events that have never occurred.