The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to four Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders, Saurav Das, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh. The notices came a day after Delhi Police registered an FIR against unnamed individuals, following a complaint from a woman who said her image had been altered and shared online without her permission, an incident she linked to this year's Jantar Mantar protests.
The court also directed Meta to take down all objectionable pictures and links connected to the woman from its platforms within 24 hours. Separately, the court ordered police protection for the woman and issued a notice to Delhi Police in response to her petition, directing the force to file a status report within two weeks.
What The Court Said
Justice Girish Kathpalia remarked on the seriousness of the matter, saying: "This is an extraordinary position in which the matter is not of one woman, it is a matter about the Prime Minister of the country. If they are not sensitive, I will make sure that they are sensitive."
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What The Woman Alleged
Per her complaint to police, the woman said AI and face-swapping tools had been used to alter her photograph during protests that CJP organised at Jantar Mantar. Notably, the FIR eventually filed does not name any of the CJP leaders referenced in her original complaint as accused.
She claimed the altered image showed her face swapped onto a photo alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, created using AI-based face-swap software. According to her allegations, this doctored picture then ended up printed on large banners and posters displayed at the protest site.
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She also alleged that objectionable slogans were shouted during the demonstration, and that a video containing the manipulated image spread on social media, particularly Instagram.
A separate complaint had named CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das, among others, though neither Dipke, Das nor Ranka has been listed as an accused in the FIR that was ultimately filed.
Background On The CJP Protests
CJP's agitation kicked off on June 20 and stretched on for over a month. At one point, the movement organised a march toward Parliament, which turned confrontational as protesters and security forces clashed, prompting police to deploy lathis and tear gas to break up the crowd.
The protest eventually wound down on July 25, following the resignation of then-Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the government's decision to accept the CJP's remaining demands.
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