- The incident was reported from Fatehpur in Gaya, which was rechristened as 'Gaya Ji' last year
- The accused, Vikas Kumar Yadav, was studying in Fatehpur, but his desire to become famous landed him in jail
- He used AI technology to manipulate photographs of Nishant Kumar, MLA Maithili Thakur to create a reel
A man in Bihar's Gaya, which is globally renowned as a spiritual destination, has been arrested for using artificial intelligence to make an objectionable reel involving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant, and first-time MLA Maithili Thakur.
The incident was reported from Fatehpur in Gaya, which was rechristened as 'Gaya Ji' last year.
The accused, Vikas Kumar Yadav, a resident of Shabdo village, was studying in Fatehpur, but his desire to become famous on social media landed him in jail.
During police interrogation, the accused stated that he frequently created and posted reels on social media, aspiring for his videos to go viral. However, the reels he produced failed to garner many likes or comments.
He then decided to do something radical.
The accused told the police that when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant Kumar, recently joined the JDU, an idea struck him. He used AI technology to manipulate photographs of Nishant Kumar and MLA Maithili Thakur to create an objectionable reel, which he then posted online, police said.
Shortly after the reel was posted, the number of likes, comments, and shares began to rise rapidly.
This led the accused to believe that his plan had succeeded and that he would become famous on social media. However, it ended rather badly for him.
The man told the police that he had frequently observed similar edited photos and videos featuring film celebrities going viral. He believed that engaging in such activities would not result in any legal action and it was under this misconception that he took this step, police said.
Meanwhile, villagers state that Vikas Kumar Yadav did not take much interest in his studies and was often engrossed in creating reels on his mobile phone. He used to tell people that he would soon become famous on social media, said villagers.
On March 13, this objectionable image and reel went viral on X and subsequently police were informed.
Upon receiving the information, the Fatehpur Police Station initiated an investigation. With the assistance of the Technical Cell, social media accounts and digital footprints were examined. The investigation revealed that the objectionable photo and reel had been circulated via an X account linked to Vikas Kumar Yadav.
Subsequently, the police conducted a raid and arrested the accused man. A case has been registered against him at the Fatehpur Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act (IT Act).
Police officials state that attempting to tarnish someone's reputation by misusing AI technology on social media is a serious offense.
(With inputs from Ranjan Sinha)
