AI used to fabricate ‘evidence’ of molestation at anti-CEC protest? Delhi Police arrest man over fake ACP Vivek Bhagat CCTV video

Delhi Police have arrested a 24-year-old man for allegedly creating and circulating AI-generated content that falsely portrayed ACP Vivek Bhagat sexually assaulting a woman during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. The accused, identified as Nadeem Ahmed of Palwal, Haryana, allegedly presented the manipulated material as genuine CCTV footage from the protest site. Police on Tuesday (Oct 06) said the content was circulated on social media with Bhagat’s photograph, name and designation, giving the impression that the officer was involved in the alleged incident shown in the footage.

The arrest comes days after a woman journalist alleged that Bhagat sexually harassed her while she was covering the detention of protesters. That complaint, along with complaints from two other women journalists alleging sexual harassment by police personnel, has been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch for inquiry. The allegations against Bhagat have not been independently established.

Also read | Delhi Police register 3 FIRs over Jantar Mantar protests demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation

What Delhi Police alleged

Addressing reporters, Additional DCP (New Delhi) Manjeet said police noticed the purported footage circulating on social media on October 3. Investigators subsequently traced its circulation to an Instagram account operated by Ahmed.

Police said Ahmed described himself as an independent journalist and claimed during questioning that he had access to AI tools that he used to create videos.

“On 3rd October, we saw footage circulating on social media wherein it is being shown as CCTV footage from the protest site. It is being portrayed that an individual in a police uniform is misbehaving with a woman. Through social media, the identity of the officer is being revealed. When we examined it, we found that one Nadeem Ahmed, r/o Palwal, Haryana, was running that channel. We arrested him. In the initial questioning, he told us that he is an independent journalist. He told us that he had studied till class 10 in Madrasa of Saket, Delhi,” the police said.

According to police, Ahmed said he created the material with the intention of tarnishing the image of the Delhi Police and provoking protesters against the force. When we asked him why he made such videos, he told us that he wanted to tarnish the image of police so that the protesters coming there would start harbouring hatred for the police and start attacking them. We took immediate cognisance of this and arrested him,” said Delhi police.

Police have seized his mobile phone and are examining its contents, funding sources and possible links to other people. Investigators are also looking into whether the creation and circulation of the material was part of a larger conspiracy.

Also read | ‘No party sought meeting till 4 pm,’ says EC on INDIA bloc protest against CEC

Who is Nadeem Ahmed?

Police identified Ahmed as a resident of Palwal and said he had studied up to Class 10 at a madrassa in Delhi but did not clear the examination. He operated an Instagram news account, which investigators said had more than 24,000 followers and over 1,200 posts. The account was reportedly created in April 2026 and identified itself as a news and media page.

Police arrested Ahmed on October 5 and subsequently obtained his custody for further investigation. His phone is being subjected to forensic examination.

ACP Vivek Bhagat controversy explained

The arrest follows an ongoing controversy surrounding allegations against Bhagat during the October 3 protest. A woman journalist alleged that Bhagat sexually harassed her while she was reporting on the detention of protesters. Three women journalists subsequently submitted complaints alleging sexual harassment by police personnel. Delhi Police said the complaints were transferred to the Crime Branch for a “fair and impartial inquiry”.

Bhagat was promoted to the rank of Additional DCP on Monday along with other officers from his batch. However, the order assigning him the additional charge was subsequently withdrawn. According to the government, Bhagat had requested that he not take charge until the inquiry into the allegations was completed.

The controversy has also triggered demands for an FIR and further action against the officer. Police have maintained that the complaints are being investigated by the Crime Branch.

AI fabrication vs the real complaint

Notably, the arrest of Ahmed concerns the alleged creation and circulation of fabricated digital material, and is not a determination on the underlying allegations against Bhagat.

Police have described the purported CCTV footage and poster as AI-generated or manipulated. Separately, the sexual harassment complaint against Bhagat remains under investigation.