Delhi High Court orders removal of AI videos linking ex-union minister to gangster Atiq Ahmed

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of AI-generated videos alleging that Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former union minister Saleem Iqbal Shervani helped Atiq Ahmed grow as a gangster in Allahabad. 

Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that Meta must remove the video posted by Jan Chaupal Post from Facebook and Instagram. 

The Court also restrained Jan Chaupal Post and another social media account from publishing or republishing the videos till further ordes. 

“It appears appropriate to direct the defendant number 1 [Meta] to take down the following URLs… in 36 hours. Defendants 2 and 3 are restrained from republishing or publishing the videos until further orders,” Justice Gedela ordered. 

Shervani is a five-time member of parliament (MP) from Uttar Pradesh and served as Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare from1996 to 1997 and thereafter as Union Minister of State for External Affairs till 1998. 

He filed a defamation suit in the High Court, stating that Jan Chaupal, which claims to be a journalistic platform, published AI-generated videos on their Instagram and Facebook pages. The first video alleged that Shervani used Ahmed to crush a strike in his factory in 1985. The second video alleged that bonding between Ahmed and Shervani grew after that the SP leader helped Ahmed tighten his criminal hold over Allahabad. 

Shervani argued that the allegations made in the videos are false and that Jan Chaupal never asked for his version or comments, which is a violation of the Press Council of India (PCI) norms. 

The Court was informed that the videos have garnered lakhs of views and thousands of likes on social media platforms. 

After considering, the High Court passed the interim injunction order and directed the removal of the videos. 

Advocates J Amal Anand, Abhishek Singh and KV Vibu Prasad appeared for Saleem Iqbal Shervani.