After AI-assisted morphing and circulation of photographs of female students and teachers at Bharata Mata College in Ernakulam rocked the state, a similar complaint has emerged from Kottayam. Police have taken a 22-year-old student into custody for morphing photographs of his female classmates and storing them on his mobile phone and laptop. The accused has been identified as Changanassery native Ajmal T Muhammed.

Ajmal, a BTech student at Mangalam College of Engineering, used to take photographs of his classmates on his phone as part of a general practice among friends. However, the matter came to light recently when his friends found morphed images of female students on his laptop while they were working on a college magazine.

The students immediately informed the college authorities and the police, following which police took Ajmal into custody.

Ettumanoor SI Binu said police had seized Ajmal's mobile phone and laptop. “We have recovered many morphed images of students,” he said, adding that, however, there was no evidence so far of the images being uploaded to websites or shared in other groups. The investigation, including examination by the cyber cell, was ongoing.

Police have registered a case against Ajmal under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.