Hyderabad: The growing misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake images and videos has become a major concern, with celebrities and public figures increasingly falling victim to deepfakes. Now, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar has raised the issue after an AI-generated image of him circulated on social media in connection with the recent Janhvi Kapoor deepfake controversy.
Sajjanar tagged actor Jr NTR in a post on X (formerly Twitter), asking him to take note of the alleged misuse of his image by some of the actor’s fans to spread misinformation about the case involving Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor’s song Chuttamalle from Devara.
Hyderabad Commissioner calls out fake AI image
The controversy began after an X account shared an image claiming that an arrest had been made in connection with the objectionable AI-morphed video of Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor. However, Sajjanar clarified that the image being circulated was AI-generated and not a genuine photograph.
Resharing the now-deleted post, the Hyderabad Police Commissioner wrote, “This is an AI-generated image, not a genuine photograph. Please do not fall for such deepfakes or share them without verifying their authenticity.”
He further cautioned social media users about the growing realism of AI-generated content and the dangers of sharing unverified information.
“With AI-generated images becoming increasingly realistic, it is important to question what we see online. Just because a photograph looks convincing does not mean it is real. Misinformation spreads faster when people share content without checking the facts,” Sajjanar wrote, while tagging the Hyderabad Police and cybercrime police handles.
Addressing Jr NTR directly, he added, “I ask @tarak9999 garu take note of the misuse of my image by some of his fans.”
The X account that had shared the image subsequently deleted the post and apologised to Sajjanar in the comments section of his post.
Jr NTR fans react to the commissioner’s post
Sajjanar’s post also triggered reactions from Jr NTR’s fans. Several users defended the actor and argued that the people circulating the image were not necessarily his fans.
Some social media users maintained that the actions of individual accounts should not be attributed to the entire fan community. Jr NTR, however, is yet to respond publicly to the commissioner’s post.
What is the Janhvi Kapoor deepfake controversy?
The latest development comes days after an AI-morphed video featuring Janhvi Kapoor and Jr NTR from their song Chuttamalle in Devara began circulating on social media. The objectionable manipulation of the video sparked concerns over the misuse of AI and the violation of a woman’s consent and privacy.
Responding to the incident, Janhvi shared a lengthy note addressing the larger issue of women’s boundaries, online harassment and the use of technology to manipulate their images.
“What a woman is comfortable with, where she draws the line, and what she chooses to do with her body are decisions that belong exclusively to her,” a portion of her note read.
She also explained that the issue extended beyond the AI-generated videos she had encountered in recent days, highlighting the broader challenges women face regarding safety, public scrutiny and the disregard for personal boundaries.
Jr NTR also reacted to the incident and vowed to pursue legal action against those responsible for creating and circulating the video.
The latest controversy involving Sajjanar’s image adds another dimension to the issue, highlighting how AI-generated content can be used not only to manipulate celebrities’ images but also to spread false claims involving law enforcement and criminal investigations.
