C. Joseph Vijay deepfake video — Oct 2026

A 28-year-old man from Rajasthan has been arrested and remains in custody after allegedly using AI-generated deepfake videos of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to solicit money from the public. The suspect, J. Shyabu Khan, is currently seeking bail from the Madras High Court following his arrest by the Cyber Crime Cell of the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID).

What happened

The investigation revealed that the suspect created Facebook accounts under the titles 'All India help Vijay Thalapati' and 'All India help.' These accounts featured AI-generated deepfake videos of the Chief Minister, which promised financial assistance to individuals in need. To receive this purported help, victims were instructed to register and pay a fee to a specific UPI number.

Authorities discovered the fraudulent scheme during routine cyber patrolling. By tracking the IP addresses associated with the accounts, investigators identified the suspect's location in Boontoli village, Alwar district, Rajasthan. He was arrested on September 12, 2026, with the assistance of local Rajasthan police and subsequently brought to Tamil Nadu on a transit warrant.

In his bail application, the petitioner claimed innocence, alleging that a friend named Sakrulla had created the impersonating videos and utilized his personal Facebook ID, mobile phone number, and bank account to facilitate the crime. Despite these claims, the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai previously denied his bail request on October 14, 2026, citing that the investigation was still ongoing. The petitioner is now appealing to the High Court, arguing that his incarceration has caused prejudice to his family and that the investigation should be nearing completion.