Three Congress Leaders Arrested for Circulating AI Deepfake Video of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

The video was designed to mimic the popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Guwahati:

Assam Police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) has detained three Congress leaders over allegations of distributing an artificially generated video featuring Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The arrests occurred between Wednesday and Thursday in Majuli and other districts. According to sources, the individuals have since been granted bail.

Those arrested include Jibeswar Gam (27), who serves as the Chairman of the Social Media & IT Department for Majuli District Congress; Upen Raj Nath, an Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) spokesperson; and Shahidul Islam (29), affiliated with Rupohi Congress.

CID officials have stated that the suspects will be transported to Guwahati for additional questioning as the investigation continues. Senior Congress spokesperson Raju Sahu was called in for questioning but was not arrested.

The controversial video was manipulated to resemble the format of the quiz program Kaun Banega Crorepati and gained significant traction across various social media platforms.

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) issued a statement confirming the video was fabricated using artificial intelligence. On November 26, the CMO's official X account posted: "Alert! A fake, fabricated video is being circulated by some netizens to malign Hon'ble CM Dr. @himantabiswa. This claim is completely baseless. We urge everyone to stay cautious and avoid sharing unverified content. Those creating or circulating such misinformation will face legal action."

Following this announcement, a case was registered with the CID's Cyber Cell (Case No. 0013/2025). CID representatives indicated that the arrests were connected to the distribution of manipulated content intended to deceive the public.

The charges filed include multiple provisions from the newly implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, specifically Sections 319(2) (cheating by personation), 336(4) (forgery intending to harm reputation), 356(2) (defamation), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy).

Additionally, Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which addresses cheating by impersonation using computer resources, has been applied to the case.

This is not an isolated incident in Assam. Just one day earlier, on November 25, another AI-generated video featuring Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi and several Congress leaders was circulated by certain BJP members.

However, the Congress party elected not to file a formal complaint regarding that particular video.

Opposition Leader Debabrata Saikia mentioned that he had considered releasing a counter-video to address the misinformation but ultimately decided against this course of action after consulting with family members.