Mangaluru man held for sharing AI-manipulated video to incite communal disharmony
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): A 38-year-old man was arrested for allegedly sharing an AI-manipulated video on social media with the intent to incite communal disharmony, police said on Monday.
The accused was identified as Mohammed Rafeeq, a resident of Badagabellur village in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, they said.
According to police, the video was shared in October 2025 from a Facebook account named “Nazir Mangaluru”. The content was allegedly morphed using artificial intelligence tools and circulated to provoke communal hatred.
Based on a complaint, a case was registered at Kankanady Town Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups), 353(1) (making, publishing, or circulating false statements, rumours, or information) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
During the investigation, police traced the account to Rafeeq and arrested him in Bengaluru on March 22.
He was later produced before a court, which remanded him to 15 days of judicial custody, a senior police officer said.
Police said strict action is being taken against the spread of misinformation and hate content on social media platforms.
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Four held for Rs 33 lakh online investment fraud; interstate racket busted
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has busted an interstate cyber fraud syndicate involved in an online investment scam and arrested four persons, an official said on Saturday.
A crime branch team arrested the accused in a case where a victim was allegedly cheated of Rs 33.83 lakh on the pretext of lucrative returns through online trading platforms.
“Police said the accused lured victims with promises of high returns and later coerced them into depositing more money on the pretext of unlocking or withdrawing earlier investments,” the officer said.
Police said the racket operated across several states, including Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, and used a network of mule bank accounts to route and layer the defrauded money to conceal its origin.
“During the investigation, the cheated amount was traced to 15 bank accounts. Thirteen of these accounts were registered outside Delhi, indicating the organised and interstate nature of the syndicate,” said the police officer.
The accused have been identified as Mohammad Khalid (26) and Atiur Rahman (23), both residents of Delhi, Ramandeep Singh (29) from Punjab, and Tanish alias Heera Ram (27) from Rajasthan.
According to the police, Khalid was arrested on March 15 and allegedly disclosed that he gave his bank account details and SIM card to a co-accused for a commission.
Rahman, who was already lodged in a jail in Haryana in a similar case, was later formally arrested. Ramandeep Singh was arrested on April 6 and allegedly admitted to sharing his account credentials for monetary gain.
Tanish was apprehended from Rajasthan on April 9 for facilitating the use of such accounts in the fraud network.
During the probe, officers analysed over 100 call detail records, IMEI data and transaction-related digital evidence to track the accused and establish the money trail.
Three mobile phones and SIM cards used in the crime have been recovered.
Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate and trace additional financial linkages, the police said.
