In a media briefing, the Delhi police said that the viral images showing Additional DCP Vivek Bhagat misbehaving and molesting an independent female journalist were AI-generated.
They said that they arrested a 24-year-old man who is suspected of having created and circulated the poster, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrest comes amid allegations by an independent journalist, who said that the police officer sexually harassed her while she was covering a detention at the Jantar Mantar on October 3.
Following the allegation, police launched a probe into the authenticity of the image purported to have shown the incident online, News18 reported.
They found that the images were linked to a YouTube channel called News Aiyna.
The probe then led to 24-year-old Nadeen Ahmed, a resident of Haryana.
"Our social media monitoring unit intimated us that a few fabricated visuals showed a senior police official inappropriately touching a female. The video was created on October 3 and posted on October 4," the police said.
Investigators also recovered several AI related tools from him and claimed that he admitted to creating the material to portray the Delhi police in a negative light.
“His motive was to spread anarchy," the police said. They said that the poster was created as part of an alleged conspiracy to disturb peace.
Ahmed reportedly described himself as an independent journalist when questioned. Police said he studied at a madrasa in Saket and was a class 10 dropout.
The police are now investigating whether other people were involved in the alleged conspiracy; officials said that efforts were underway to identify others who may have played a role.
Police also said that they were investigating whether Ahmed had connections to CJP.
