The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to urgently hear a plea seeking removal and blocking of a deepfake image showing a woman alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The plea accuses four Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders of using an AI-generated morphed image and circulating it.
The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, which directed that the petition be listed for hearing on Friday. An FIR has been registered in connection with the allegations.
Woman Alleges AI Misuse
According to the petition, the woman, identified as Riddhima Sharma, alleged that her photograph was used without consent and manipulated through AI face-swapping technology. She claimed that her face was superimposed onto an objectionable image alongside Modi.
The petition names CJP leaders Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh as respondents. It alleges that the image was displayed on banners during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar and later circulated through social media.
FIR Registered in Delhi
Delhi Police registered an FIR at the Cyber Police Station in New Delhi on September 24 following the complaint. The case has been registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The petitioner has sought removal and blocking of the deepfake material from social media and platforms. She has sought police protection, citing threats and harassment received after the circulation of the content.
Court Hearing to Determine Next Steps
The allegations against the CJP leaders remain claims made in the petition and have not been established by the court. The urgent listing means the High Court will examine the plea and the reliefs sought by the petitioner.
The case has drawn attention to legal concerns surrounding AI-generated deepfakes, non-consensual image manipulation and circulation of objectionable content.