Please stop: Cousin of Air India crash victim slams influencers for fake videos, AI images
New Delhi: As families across the country grapple with the devastating aftermath of the Air India Flight AI171 crash that killed 270 persons, including 241 persons on board, in Ahmedabad, a grieving relative has strongly criticised social media influencers and content creators for exploiting the tragedy with fake videos, doctored images, and misinformation.
Kuldeep Bhatt, cousin of crash victim Komi Vyas, who died along with her husband Prateek Joshi and their three young children, urged influencers to stop circulating misleading and AI-generated visuals for views and online engagement, as reported by India Today on Monday.
“Our family, along with hundreds of others, is undergoing immense trauma,” Bhatt said, lamenting how genuine family photographs have been manipulated to produce sensationalised content. He recalled a selfie that Komi and her family had shared shortly before takeoff, which has since gone viral as part of AI-generated videos falsely portraying events around the crash.
“When Komi and others were leaving the flight, they took a selfie and posted it in our family group. Now that photo has gone viral. People have been generating videos from that photo. One such video has gone viral throughout India. It's AI-generated. The photo has been made into a fake video,” he said.
The situation, Bhatt noted, has been made worse by the circulation of disturbing images involving the couple’s daughter Miraya. As the family awaits confirmation of her identity through DNA testing, unverified reports and visuals have been widely shared on social media platforms, claiming that the child’s body has been identified and cremated.
Further adding to the family’s distress are fake social media accounts being created in Komi’s name, along with the unauthorised use of personal photos. “Fake accounts have been made. I request all social media influencers that please stop. Why are you giving us so much mental trauma just to increase your likes and followers?” he said.
Bhatt urged content creators to exercise basic responsibility and verify information through official channels before posting online. “If you need any information, talk to the administration. You’re getting official updates from there. If you need some photos or videos, we will provide them for you. But for your entertainment, for your popularity, please don’t do this,” he said.
The Air India aircraft, which was en route to London, crashed into a medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area shortly after takeoff on Thursday. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 241 passengers and crew members on board, along with several casualties on the ground. Among the victims were Komi, Prateek, their twin sons Pradyut and Nakul, and daughter Miraya.
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Karnataka Cabinet ratifies decisions on internal reservation for SCs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Cabinet has ratified its earlier decisions on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes and approved key modifications to streamline recruitment, including withdrawal and reissue of notifications and adoption of a 400-point roster system.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday said the Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to implementing internal reservation within the 15 per cent SC quota and expediting long-pending recruitment across departments.
"The Cabinet ratified decisions taken in earlier meetings (April 16 and April 24) and made modifications regarding reservation policies," Patil said.
He said the government will implement internal reservation within the 15 per cent quota for Scheduled Castes in specified proportions and revise recruitment notifications accordingly, with a 400-point roster to be followed.
If fewer than three roster points for SC arise in recruitment, then all 101 Scheduled Caste communities will be allowed to compete under SC general, he said.
Patil added that recruitment notifications issued without incorporating internal reservation will be withdrawn and reissued in line with the revised policy.
"If the Supreme Court approves 24 per cent reservation for SC/ST, six per cent backlog posts will be filled," he said, noting that urgent steps will be taken to fill 56,432 approved posts.
The latest decision follows the Cabinet's April 24 resolution that cleared a revised internal reservation formula within the overall 15 per cent SC quota, paving the way for long-pending government recruitment. The government had approved 5.25 per cent reservation each for the "right-hand" and "left-hand" groups, and about 4.5 per cent for other Scheduled Castes, including nomadic communities.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had then said the categorisation was worked out proportionately within the constitutional ceiling. "From tomorrow onwards, the recruitment process will begin with the issuance of notifications," he had said after the April 24 Cabinet meeting.
He also noted that the SC quota was fixed at 15 per cent and ST at three per cent in line with the 50 per cent cap laid down in the Indra Sawhney case, while pointing out that the Supreme Court had permitted internal reservation within constitutional limits.
