Cyberabad police issue notice to IAS officer over Kancha Gachibowli land row
Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police on Wednesday issued a notice to Telangana Principal Secretary of Youth Advancement, Tourism, and Culture, Smita Sabharwal, for resharing an AI-generated image related to the Kancha Gachibowli land controversy on social media.
The IAS officer was served notice under Section 179 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). She had reposted an AI-generated Ghibli image which depicted the bulldozers parked on the Kancha Gachibowli land adjacent to University of Hyderabad.
Telangana police began the crackdown against the social media users who allegedly posted fake pictures and videos using artificial intelligence on social media regarding the removal of green cover in the 400-acre land adjacent to the university campus.
Earlier, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) social media in-charges of social media Manne Krishank and Konatham Dileep appeared before Gachibowli police. Cases were filed against the two leaders in connection with the alleged posting of Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated videos on social media platforms.
The police had filed four First Information Reports (FIRs) against Krishank and Dileep under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 353 (1) (b), 353 (1) (c), 352 (2), 192, 196 (1), 61 (1) (a).
They have been charged with using AI technology to create videos about the clearing of green cover on the 400 acres land in Kancha Gachibowli and posting it on social media, which may potentially mislead the public or cause unrest.
Recently, chief minister Revanth Reddy chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the social media campaign against the proposed auction of 400 acres of government land in Kancha Gachibowli.
The meeting noted that Union Minister Kishan Reddy, former Minister Jagadish Reddy, social media influencer Dhruv Rathi, film celebrities John Abraham, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon sent the wrong message to society after they uploaded the fake videos and photos on social media believing them to be true.
The chief minister expressed serious concern over the use of AI technology to create images and videos to falsely claim the government seized the lands of Hyderabad Central University.
