Amit Shah's deep fake video probe: Police suspect Congress' Beereddy to be 'main' creator

New Delhi: The Delhi Police suspects that Arun Beereddy, the national coordinator of the Congress' social media team, is the 'main' creator of the fake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the official sources said on Wednesday.

Beereddy, a native of Hyderabad, was arrested on May 3 from West Delhi. Following his arrest, he was produced before a court and it sent him to three days in custody for further interrogation by the Delhi Police's Special Cell. He was sent to judicial custody on Tuesday.

According to a police officer, the investigations into the fake video have revealed some more names who are suspected to be Beereddy's associates and who helped him in creating the fake video and sharing it on social media to spread misinformation during the elections.

The reports of electronic gadgets like mobile phones and laptop seized from Beereddy are yet to come from the forensic science laboratory (FSL). But the investigations so far have pointed that he was among the main creators of the fake video, an official source said.

Another official source said a team of Special Cell, camping in Telangana since the case was registered on April 28, conducted raids at several places in Hyderabad on Monday and Tuesday to collect the evidences related to the case. They have also questioned a few people.

The cell, on a complaint from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which comes under the home ministry, had registered the FIR under IPC sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth), 465 (punishment for forgery), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) and 171G (false statement in connection with an election). The police added a section of criminal conspiracy later into the case.

The complaint was about the doctored video of Shah where his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quota for Muslims on religious grounds in Telangana were changed to make it seem that he was advocating scrapping of all reservations.