Kochi: The investigation into the alleged AI-assisted morphing and circulation of photographs of female students and teachers at Bharata Mata College in Kochi has widened, with the police probing a closed chat group of four to five people on a messaging app and examining the possible involvement of former students and outsiders.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case is looking into whether the arrested student received assistance from others to create or circulate sexually explicit content. The SIT is also examining the digital trail left behind, after finding that the accused had deleted the AI tools used for morphing the images.

Speaking to the media, Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said a small, private social media group was under the scanner for circulating sexually altered images.

“Centring around the college, there are several social media groups. Creating an exclusive, small group comprising four or five people, they put such matters into it,” Kumar said, cautioning against prematurely identifying or naming other students, pointing out that their futures could be affected by the investigation.

“We can proceed only after getting clarity on what their roles are. All this is part of the investigation; we can state things only after evidence comes in. Otherwise, they are students; it is a sensitive matter. They might have gotten caught up in this mistakenly. So, we can share details only after conducting an inquiry and getting a certain clarity. Based on that, we will take precise action,” he said, adding that the exact role of each person would be verified before taking action.

Cyber experts to join SIT
Thrikkakara ACP Bijoy Chandran, who heads the SIT, said cyber forensic experts would be inducted into the investigation team to trace the digital footprints and establish the extent of the network.

The police are examining whether the accused acted alone or received assistance in creating and circulating the manipulated images. The investigation is also looking into the role of people who may have been part of the private group.

“The boy had morphed and circulated images using AI tools. We are investigating whether he received any assistance from anyone,” ACP Bijoy Chandran said.

He said investigators had learnt that the accused deleted the AI tools after using them. “What we understand is that after using them, he deleted those AI tools. We are constituting a new team including cyber experts as well. In platforms like Telegram and similar spaces, a lot of youngsters get trapped; many misuse this,” the ACP said.

Police rule out commercial racket
Senior police officers have also dismissed speculation that the sexually explicit material was being sold or monetised as part of an online racket. “So far, there is no evidence to suggest that anything was done for financial gain,” Commissioner Kumar said.

ACP Chandran said the circulation identified so far was through non-commercial digital channels. Investigators found that the altered files were routed to closed Telegram groups containing explicit content, but there was no evidence of monetary transactions.

The police had earlier formally arrested Sreehari S, a second-year BBA (Logistics) student, after invoking the additional non-bailable Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, which deals with publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts in electronic form. The case also includes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Kerala Police Act.

Kerala plans new project to fight photo-morphing crimes
The Bharata Mata College case has also triggered wider concern over the misuse of generative AI and cyber platforms, prompting the state government to announce plans for a comprehensive initiative to tackle such offences.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the government was preparing a dedicated statewide programme to address the growing misuse of social media and cyberspace for criminal activities. The proposed initiative is expected to focus on the growing misuse of AI-generated and digitally manipulated content, as well as broader cyber offences involving young people.

“In Kerala, crimes involving the use of AI and cyberspace are increasing. By October, we are preparing a new project to fight this. It is a major issue. It’s not just a matter concerning any single college; there is no politics in it either. It is a crisis of enormous proportion. We are currently preparing a project for it,” he said.