The Delhi High Court has agreed to urgently hear a petition by a woman alleging that an artificial intelligence-generated and morphed image of her with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was circulated online and displayed during a political protest.
The plea was mentioned before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. Advocate Umesh Sharma, appearing for the petitioner, informed the Court that an FIR had already been registered concerning the alleged circulation of the manipulated image and sought immediate listing of the matter. The Bench allowed the request for urgent hearing.
The petitioner has alleged that her photograph was used without her consent and digitally altered through face-swapping technology to create an objectionable image featuring the Prime Minister. She has claimed that the allegedly fabricated image was subsequently circulated through social media platforms and displayed on banners during a protest at Jantar Mantar.
The petition has named CJP leaders Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh as respondents. According to the petitioner, the circulation and public display of the allegedly manipulated material have caused her harassment and exposed her to threats and reputational harm.
Seeking urgent judicial intervention, the petitioner has prayed for directions to the authorities and online platforms to identify, remove and block the allegedly deepfake content from circulation. She has also sought appropriate police protection, contending that the continued dissemination of the material poses a threat to her safety and privacy.
The allegations are presently the subject matter of the proceedings and investigation pursuant to the FIR. The High Court is yet to examine the merits of the allegations or record any finding regarding the authenticity or origin of the disputed material.
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