HYDERABAD: Six more Congress social media handlers have been issued notices in connection with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s doctored video on reservations. They are suspected to have shared the video.
Speeding up the investigation in the case, officials have requested X (formerly Twitter) to furnish the details of the persons who uploaded the videos on the social media platform.
Sources told TNIE, “In response, X provided a trail of digital breadcrumbs, including a URL, mobile number, and IP address linked to the dissemination of the falsified content. This digital footprint led to Pendyala Vamshi Krishna, one of the accused in the case, being designated as Accused No. 1.”
Meanwhile, sources said X confirmed that the video was posted on the social media platform by @INCTelangana, the official X handle of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).
It is yet to be ascertained in the police investigation if the video was doctored by the accused social media handlers or they themselves received a doctored video and fell victim to it. However, sources said that the Congress social media warriors have claimed that they received the doctored video and they did not commit the act of manipulation.
It may be recalled that the Hyderabad Cyber Crime officials had arrested five accused who were handlers of the TPCC social media platforms. They are: Pendyala Vamshi Krishna, Manne Sathish, Pettam Naveen, Asma Tasleem and Koya Geetha. Upon their arrest, the police had seized electronic devices, including their mobile phones, laptops and tablets. All are residents of Hyderabad and allegedly circulated the doctored video of the speech delivered by Shah during his election campaign and public meeting at Siddipet. The video was also retweeted by the five accused.
On May 4, the accused were produced before the XII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Court at Nampally. Bail was given on Rs 10,000 bail bond for each accused.
X provided IP address, phone number of A-1
Sources told TNIE that X provided a trail of digital breadcrumbs, including the mobile number and IP address linked to the dissemination of the falsified content. This digital footprint led to Pendyala Vamshi Krishna, one of the accused, being designated as Accused No. 1