Police Identify Social Media Accounts Linked to Cross-Border Disinformation During CJP Protest

Mumbai, Jul 28 : The cyber police in Maharshtra have identified more than 500 social media profiles involved in a “coordinated cross-border disinformation campaign” during the Cockroach Janta Party’s nationwide protest, officials said on Tuesday. Mahrashtra Cyber conducted a monitoring drive involving large-scale Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), metadata examination, behavioural analysis and forensic examination of AI-generated and deepfake content circulating on social media when the CJP-led agitation over the NEET paper leak issue was ongoing, a police release said. The probe found that there was a coordinated network of social media accounts disseminating false, misleading and AI-generated content with the apparent objective of manipulating public perception, creating confusion, provoking unrest and disturbing public order, it said. Technical analysis indicated the involvement of anti-social elements operating from outside India, particularly from Pakistan and certain Middle Eastern countries, who were amplifying misleading narratives targeting Indian audiences, police said. History Maharashtra Cyber has initiated legal action against these accounts and sought the removal of objectionable content from the social media platforms, the release said. Police identified 429 objectionable social media posts and handles across platforms such as Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube. Around 100 accounts were operating from outside India, officials said. The content included digitally inflated crowd visuals, synthetic voice, cloned audio and manipulated videos attributed to public figures. Maharashtra Cyber also appealed to the people to exercise caution while sharing any information related to “sensitive public events”, and verify it through government sources and credible news organisations before forwarding it.