HYDERABAD — The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have registered a case against the India head of Meta Platforms, along with operators of several social media handles on Facebook and Instagram, for allegedly hosting morphed and derogatory content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The police action comes on the heels of a formal complaint filed by T Saikiran Goud, a member of the social media cell for BJP Telangana. According to official records, Goud lodged the complaint on July 29 after coming across multiple short-form videos (Reels) and posts while browsing social media platforms earlier that afternoon.
The offensive content was reportedly circulated in connection with student agitations led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over alleged paper leak irregularities surrounding the national entrance examinations.
Detailed Complaint and Security Concerns
In his complaint, Goud provided law enforcement with 20 direct links to specific Facebook and Instagram handles. He alleged that the circulated content featured manipulated visuals and inflammatory commentary designed to demean the Prime Minister, spread public misinformation, and incite communal or political hatred.
The BJP functionary further asserted that allowing such content to proliferate on widely used digital platforms poses a threat to national integrity and public order.
Beyond seeking action against the individual account owners, the complainant requested that law enforcement coordinate directly with Meta Platforms to preserve digital evidence, trace account registration details, and penalize the social media giant for failing to flag or remove the objectionable material in a timely manner.
Statutory Charges and Legal Action
Acting on the complaint, Assistant Sub-Inspector K Hari Ram registered a case at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Hyderabad.
The legal proceedings have been initiated under key provisions of both digital and penal laws:
Information Technology (IT) Act: Sections 66(C) (identity theft) and 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Sections 353(2) (statements conducting public mischief or promoting hatred/ill-will) and 336(4) (forgery for harming reputation).
The investigation has been officially assigned to Police Inspector P Jayashankar, who will lead efforts to retrieve subscriber identity details from Meta and evaluate potential compliance failures under India's digital intermediary guidelines.
