Pramesh Jain
Three people arrested for allegedly creating and disseminating AI-generated obscene content featuring actor Rukmini Vasant The three people arrested in connection with disseminating AI-generated obscene content featuring actor Rukmini Vasant include a BSc nursing student, a software engineer with an annual salary of Rs 2 million, and an employee of a chartered accountant’s firm who allegedly created the deepfake video to increase online views and earn money.
The arrest was made by the Karnataka Cyber Command following an investigation into the viral circulation of morphed sexually explicit images and videos of the Kantara actor created using artificial intelligence tools.
Investigators were reportedly surprised by the defendant’s background during interrogation.
The main suspect, Ravikumar (24) from Bagalkot district, is a Bachelor of Nursing student who was running a YouTube channel. Police said he is suspected of creating and uploading deepfake videos and using such content to attract more viewers, increase engagement and generate revenue from his online platform.
Another accused, Ranjith Kumar, 25, a software engineer from Bengaluru who earns around 2 million rupees a year, allegedly admitted during interrogation that he created deepfake videos of actresses “for fun.”
The third accused, Chandrakanth, 33, who works at a chartered accountant’s firm in Bangalore, also allegedly confessed to creating the AI-generated deepfake content of the actress for entertainment purposes.
Investigators said the accused used artificial intelligence tools to create obscene photos and videos of actor Rukmini Vasant and distributed them on online platforms. Three mobile phones used in the crime were seized and sent for forensic examination.
Police said a preliminary investigation confirmed that AI technology was used to generate and distribute the manipulated content.
Investigators are now looking into whether the suspect targeted other women or celebrities, and whether there were additional people involved in the distribution network.
The case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station following a complaint by the actor.
The Karnataka State Cyber Command has warned that the creation and distribution of non-consensual and explicit AI-generated content is a serious criminal offense and strict action will be taken against violators, with further investigations underway.
