Mangaluru (Karnataka), March 23 A 38-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sharing an AI-manipulated video on social media with the intent to incite communal disharmony, police said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Mohammed Rafeeq, a resident of Badagabellur village in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, was arrested.
According to police, the video was shared on October 2025 from a Facebook account named "Nazir Mangaluru". The content was allegedly manipulated using artificial intelligence tools and circulated to provoke communal hatred.
Based on a complaint, a case was registered at Kankanady Town Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups), 353(1) (making, publishing, or circulating false statements, rumours, or information), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
During the investigation, police traced the account to Rafeeq and arrested him in Bengaluru on March 22.
He was later produced before a court, which remanded him in 15 days of judicial custody, a senior police officer said.
Police said strict action is being taken against the spread of misinformation and hate content on social media platforms.
