Woman held for using AI to morph photos of ex-colleague to settle personal grudge
Chennai (PTI): A woman was arrested for allegedly using AI to morph photos of a former colleague and circulating them on social media as an act of revenge, Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing officials said on Wednesday.
The accused, a former employee of a Chennai-based firm, allegedly targeted a senior executive of the same company to settle a personal grudge.
According to a release from the Cyber Crime Wing Headquarters, the investigation was triggered by a complaint regarding the misuse of digital platforms to harass and defame the victim.
"The investigation established that the accused had deliberately misused social media platforms to threaten, harass, and publicly humiliate the victim as an act of revenge," the police statement said.
The matter came to light on January 4, when several employees of the victim's company received Instagram follow requests from unknown IDs. These accounts were found to be circulating objectionable and defamatory content, including morphed images of the victim created using various AI applications. The police noted that the images were downloaded from the official website of the company.
Technical analysis of digital footprints, social media activity, and IP logs led the State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre to the suspect. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody.
Director General of Police (Cyber Crime Wing), Sandeep Mittal cautioned citizens to remain vigilant and use social media platforms responsibly. "Circulation of cyber harassment, online abusive and offensive content through social media is a punishable offence," he stated in the advisory.
The public has been urged to safeguard personal data and report such incidents immediately through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) or by dialing the toll-free assistance number 1930.
The investigation was conducted under the guidance of Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime Wing) Adarsh Pachera, according to the statement.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
