HYDERABAD: Cybercrime police have registered two cases against operators of several Facebook and Instagram accounts and parent company Meta’s India head over allegedly morphed and objectionable content targeting PM Narendra Modi during Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led NEET paper leak agitation.Cases were registered on complaints by BJP supporters alleging manipulated videos and images of the PM were circulated on social media. Police invoked relevant provisions of BNS and IT Act, naming operators of identified accounts and Meta’s India head as co-accused.“We have issued a notice to Meta about the cases registered and the objectionable links reported by the complainants. We are also trying to collect details about the accused to identify and arrest them,” a cybercrime investigator said.Cops: Operators of accounts targeting PM being tracedBy Thursday evening, all links cited in the complaints had become inactive. However, police said they were tracing operators behind the social media accounts. One of the complainants was T Saikiran Goud, 32, a social media core committee member of Telangana BJP. On Wednesday night, he submitted 20 Facebook and Instagram links and sought action against Meta for hosting the content.“On behalf of Telangana BJP karyakarthas, we seek an investigation into certain Instagram accounts that have been publishing and circulating content which, in our opinion, is derogatory towards Prime Minister and appear to promote narratives that may be prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and public order of the nation,” Goud said, while requesting police to identify the individuals operating the accounts and initiate legal action against them.In a separate complaint, BJP supporter S Aravind Reddy of Nampally alleged some Instagram handles circulated “obscene” videos and images. “I came across multiple morphed and digitally manipulated videos and images depicting the Prime Minister, US President and former Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner. Such content has the potential to mislead the public,” Reddy complained.
