Telangana police book Meta India head, account operators over morphed Modi posts during CJP protests

Telangana’s cybercrime police have registered two first information reports naming Meta India’s head and operators of several Facebook and Instagram accounts as co-accused, alleging they hosted and circulated morphed and objectionable content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests over the NEET-UG paper leak.

The cases were filed on 29 July on complaints from BJP supporters in Hyderabad. According to the Indian Express, the complainants alleged that manipulated videos and images of Modi — as well as of US President Donald Trump and former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan — were shared on social media while CJP demonstrations were underway in Delhi and other cities. One complaint identified twenty Instagram and Facebook accounts that allegedly used morphed content. Another cited “obscene, derogatory and misleading” material with the potential to “mislead the public.”

Police have invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The FIRs name the operators of the identified accounts and Meta India’s head as co-accused. A senior officer told the Indian Express that all links cited in the complaints had become inactive by 30 July, and notices have been issued to Meta regarding the reported objectionable URLs. The Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of the Congress, has not commented on the FIRs.

BJP spokesperson N V Subhash described the action as necessary: “Democracy permits disagreement not digital lynching. We welcome criticism, political opposition and democratic debate. Criticism is not the issue. Organised and vulgar abuse masquerading as political activism is.”

The development comes weeks after the Centre summoned Meta’s global executives following a brief restriction on a PM Modi video on Facebook — an episode Meta attributed to a technical error. The current FIRs mark the first time Meta’s India leadership has been directly named in a police case linked to protest-related content.

What we can verify

• Two FIRs registered on 29 July. Telangana cybercrime police confirmed the cases to multiple outlets, including The Indian Express and Times of India. — The Indian Express; Times of India
• Meta India head named as co-accused. Both reports confirm the India head of Meta Platforms is listed alongside social-media account operators in the FIRs. — The Indian Express
• Complaints linked to CJP protests. The Indian Express reports the alleged morphed content circulated “during the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests” over the NEET-UG paper leak. — The Indian Express
• Content described as morphed/manipulated. Complainants allege digitally manipulated videos and images of PM Modi, former minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and US President Donald Trump. — The Indian Express
• Links inactive by 30 July. Police sources said all cited URLs were down within a day of the FIRs. — The Indian Express
• Legal provisions invoked. BNS sections and the IT Act have been applied; notices issued to Meta for the reported links. — The Indian Express; Times of India

What remains unverified

• Exact number of accounts and their operators. The complainant cited twenty accounts; police have not released a confirmed list or identified the individuals behind them. — [unverified]
• Whether Meta India head will be summoned or questioned. The FIR names the platform head as co-accused, but no summons or interrogation has been confirmed by police on record. — [unverified]
• Political motivation behind the complaints. Filed by BJP functionaries in a Congress-ruled state; opposition parties have not publicly responded at press time. — [unverified]
• Scale of circulation of the alleged morphed content. No independent metric of reach or impressions is available from police or Meta. — [unverified]