Our Bureau
New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Friday directed Meta to remove objectionable photographs and links concerning a woman from its platforms within 24 hours, following allegations that her image was manipulated and circulated without her consent during protests at Jantar Mantar. The court also ordered police protection for the woman and sought a status report from Delhi Police within two weeks.
The court issued notices to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh in connection with the matter. The notices followed an FIR registered against unidentified persons after the woman approached Delhi Police over the alleged circulation of the manipulated image.
According to the woman’s complaint, her photograph was allegedly altered using artificial intelligence and face-swapping technology to make it appear alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She alleged that the manipulated image was displayed on banners and posters during the protest and later circulated on social media, including Instagram.
The FIR registered by Delhi Police names unknown persons and does not list the four CJP leaders as accused, according to the report. A complaint had, however, been filed against CJP leaders including Dipke and Das in connection with the alleged incident. The court has now sought a response from the parties concerned.
Justice Girish Kathpalia observed that the matter had implications beyond the individual complaint because it involved an image concerning the Prime Minister. The case is linked to protests led by the CJP that began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and continued for more than a month. The agitation included a march towards Parliament and ended on July 25.