Three arrested for deepfake bikini videos of Kantara fame actress Rukmini Vasanth - Telangana Today

What happened

In June 2026, Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police arrested three well-educated professionals for creating and circulating deepfake bikini videos and photographs of actress Rukmini Vasanth. The accused, identified as 25-year-old nurse Ravikumar, 25-year-old software engineer Ranjith Kumar, and 33-year-old Chartered Accountant Chandrakanth, confessed to using artificial intelligence tools to superimpose the actress’s image onto other bodies. The suspects allegedly acted for sadistic pleasure and, in one instance, to generate revenue through a monetized YouTube channel.

The investigation began after Vasanth filed a formal complaint regarding the viral content, noting that the fabrication caused her severe embarrassment and violated her privacy. Police initiated action against 29 social media accounts, including nine Instagram accounts, 14 X accounts, and six Facebook pages used to disseminate the material. Although the accused initially registered fake addresses on these platforms, investigators successfully traced them by analyzing URL IDs and obtaining data from Meta.

Authorities seized three high-end mobile phones during the arrests. The suspects have been remanded to judicial custody, and the case is being prosecuted under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, alongside several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to obscenity and the tarnishing of reputation. Vasanth has publicly denounced the misuse of AI technology, urging the public to refrain from sharing such fabricated content while expressing confidence in the legal process.