Maharashtra Cyber Department has identified more than 500 social media profiles and hundreds of objectionable posts that it alleges were part of a coordinated cross-border disinformation campaign aimed at shaping public opinion during the ongoing CJP protests, NDTV reported on Monday.
The officials said that investigators have identified over 500 social media profiles and 429 objectionable posts across major digital platforms during an extensive investigation into the spread of online misinformation linked to these protests.
The agency claimed that technical analysis traced around 100 malicious social media accounts to operators based in Pakistan and parts of the Middle East.
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These accounts were allegedly involved in spreading misleading content designed to fuel public unrest, create confusion and manipulate public perception.
Officials further said the campaign relied heavily on advanced digital manipulation techniques.
More than 140 posts were found to contain deepfake videos, cloned audio, synthetic voice recordings and digitally enhanced crowd visuals, allegedly intended to make fabricated or misleading content appear authentic.
Maharashtra Cyber said the network was uncovered using large-scale Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), behavioural analysis and advanced audio-video forensic tools to identify coordinated online activity.
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The agency has initiated legal proceedings against those involved and has approached social media intermediaries to remove the identified content.
It added that further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the operation and identify additional entities linked to the campaign.
In an advisory, Maharashtra Cyber urged citizens to exercise caution before sharing unverified content online.
The agency appealed to the public to "Pause, Verify, and Share Responsibly", saying responsible use of social media is essential to maintaining public peace and preventing the spread of misinformation.
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