Delhi Police seeks info from social media platforms on source of doctored video of Amit Shah

Amit Shah. Pic/PTI

The Delhi Police have contacted social media networks, including X, to learn more about the origin of a modified video starring Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The video, which wrongly depicted Shah as advocating the termination of all reservations, was widely disseminated online, causing the police to respond.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police started a FIR after receiving a report from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), which is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The doctored film altered Shah's words in Telangana, creating a deceptive narrative about his attitude on Muslim reservations, reported PTI.

The probe is being led by the Special Cell's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) section, which has approached social media networks to identify the individuals responsible for spreading the video.

"We have formed many different teams to investigate the matter properly and arrest the main culprits. We have written to X, formerly known as Twitter, and other social media regarding the video. We are investigating both the source of the video and those responsible for its widespread circulation," a police source told PTI.

According to the report, the FIR, filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, highlights the seriousness of spreading misleading information that could incite disharmony among communities and disrupt public order.

The FIR, per PTI report, has been filed under sections 153 (wantonly causing provocation with the intention to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 465 (forgery), 469 (forgery to harm the reputation of any party), and 171G (publishing false statement with intent to affect the result of an election) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 66C of the Information Technology Act

The Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized in its complaint that the doctored videos circulating on platforms like Facebook and X pose a threat to public tranquillity and urged for necessary legal action to be taken.

"The video seems to be doctored, spreading misleading information with the intention of creating disharmony among communities which is likely to affect public tranquillity and public order issues. It is requested to kindly take necessary legal action as per the provisions of law," the FIR, per PTI report.