Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have registered two criminal cases against the operators of several Facebook and Instagram accounts, along with Meta’s India head, over the alleged circulation of morphed and objectionable content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over the NEET paper leak issue.
The cases were initiated following complaints filed by BJP supporters, who alleged that digitally manipulated videos and images of the Prime Minister were being widely circulated on social media platforms. Police have invoked relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, naming the operators of identified social media accounts and Meta’s India head as co-accused.
According to investigators, a formal notice has been issued to Meta regarding the cases and the allegedly objectionable links highlighted in the complaints. Officials said efforts are underway to identify the individuals operating the accounts and gather evidence for further legal action. By Thursday evening, the links cited in the complaints had reportedly become inactive.
One of the complainants, T. Saikiran Goud, a member of the Telangana BJP’s social media core committee, submitted around 20 Facebook and Instagram links to the police. In his complaint, he alleged that the accounts were publishing content that was derogatory towards the Prime Minister and promoting narratives that could be prejudicial to the country’s sovereignty, integrity and public order. He requested the police to identify the account operators and initiate appropriate legal proceedings.
In a separate complaint, BJP supporter S. Aravind Reddy alleged that certain Instagram accounts had shared obscene, digitally manipulated videos and images depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the United States, and former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He claimed that the fabricated content was misleading and had the potential to deceive the public.
Cybercrime officials said investigations are continuing to trace those responsible for creating and uploading the content. Authorities are also examining the role of the social media platform in hosting the material before it was taken down. The case comes amid heightened political tensions surrounding the nationwide debate over the NEET paper leak controversy and online content related to public figures.
