Rashmika Mandanna deepfake video: Delhi Police nabs Andhra Pradesh native

The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a man in connection with a deepfake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna that was widely circulated on social media. The accused, who is suspected to be the creator of the video, was arrested from Andhra Pradesh and has been brought to Delhi, an official said, adding that he was being interrogated. The police, however, did not divulge further details.

Over two months ago, a video purportedly featuring Rashmika Mandanna entering an elevator had gone viral. On further scrutiny, it was unveiled as a deepfake of Zara Patel, a social media influencer who often posts adult content for her followers. On November 10, an FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 465 (punishment for forgery) and 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) and sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act at the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit of the Delhi Police's Special Cell.

Soon after registering the FIR, the IFSO Unit wrote to Meta to get the URL and other details to identify the accused who made the video and put it on the social media, officials added.