Kozhikode , Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said the state police were planning a special drive against cybercrimes amid a series of cases involving college students allegedly creating obscene images and videos of classmates through digital manipulation.
The police are currently conducting an anti-narcotics drive, Operation Toofan, which has led to the arrest of more than 10,000 people in two months.
Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar told reporters that a second-year B Tech student of Bharata Mata School of Engineering, Thrikkakara, who was arrested for allegedly creating obscene images and videos of his classmates and teachers, had also allegedly morphed photographs of his relatives. He said police could not confirm whether similar groups were operating on other college campuses based on the information available so far. One positive aspect, he said, was that alert students at the college had noticed the photographs in their groups and brought the matter to the police’s attention. Regarding the use of AI or deepfake technology, Kumar said police could confirm the application used only after examining the statements and other evidence.
“The photos of the relatives were morphed and posted in closed social media groups. As part of the investigation, we are looking into who else is a member of that group and whether any other persons are involved.
As of now, there is no evidence of any financial gain,” he said. At present, only one person is in custody, Kumar said, adding that further evidence would be examined to determine whether others were involved.
