The Delhi High Court has directed police to provide protection to a woman who alleged that an objectionable morphed image of her with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was circulated during a protest by members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The court also directed Meta to remove the disputed content from its platforms within 24 hours and issued notices to four CJP leaders named in the woman's petition.

Justice Girish Kathpalia directed the investigating officer to obtain the woman's residential address confidentially and forward it to the concerned station house officer. The SHO was instructed to ensure her protection, while the court ordered that her address should not be disclosed publicly.

WOMAN ALLEGES DEEPFAKE WAS USED DURING PROTEST

According to the petition, the woman's photograph was allegedly taken without her consent and digitally altered to create an obscene image showing her alongside the Prime Minister.

She alleged that the image was displayed on banners during a CJP demonstration and that videos containing the material were subsequently circulated on social media. The petition further alleged that similar morphed material was uploaded on pornographic websites.

The woman told the court that the circulation of the material had resulted in online threats, including rape threats, and claimed that the content remained accessible despite her complaint to the police.

COURT ISSUES NOTICES TO CJP LEADERS

The court issued notices to CJP leaders Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh, all of whom have been named as respondents in the petition.

They have been asked to respond within two weeks. The court's order does not, at this stage, make a finding that the allegations against the respondents have been established.

FIR REGISTERED, POLICE ASKED FOR STATUS REPORT

Delhi Police informed the court that an FIR had been registered on Thursday and assured the Bench that the investigation would be conducted expeditiously.

The court directed the police to submit a status report within one week, detailing the action taken in the case.

The woman has been asked to provide investigators with copies of the disputed photographs, videos and relevant web links. Police were directed to maintain confidentiality while forwarding the links to Meta through official channels for necessary action.

The court Registry was also directed to redact the disputed links from the petition and its annexures.

META DIRECTED TO REMOVE DISPUTED CONTENT

Meta was ordered to take down the objectionable material from its platforms. The direction came after the petition alleged that the disputed content continued to circulate online despite the filing of the police complaint.

The court also observed that the woman could pursue a separate claim for compensation and clarified that the present proceedings would not prevent her from seeking any other remedy available under law.

The matter is scheduled to come up again in two weeks as the police investigation continues.