JAJPUR: A 28-year-old man was detained by Balichandrapur police in Jajpur district on Saturday for allegedly circulating an AI-generated video claiming that a tiger was spotted near a sugarcane field in the Baniari-Saudia area.
The video, which was circulated widely on social media from Saturday morning, triggered panic among thousands of residents in dozens of villages in and around Baniari and Saudia under Balichandrapur police limits.
Police said the man, Srikant Dhinda of Baniari, who works outside the state, had returned to his native village a couple of days ago. He reportedly uploaded the AI-generated video from his social media account, claiming that a tiger was moving near a sugarcane field in his village.
The video went viral on social media, causing widespread panic among locals. Locals alerted forest department officials, who swung into action to verify the claim. Police were also informed, following which a joint search operation was conducted by the police and forest officials in the area.
However, the officials found no evidence of a tiger and determined that the video was fake and fabricated. Balichandrapur police subsequently registered a case in connection with the incident and detained Dhinda.
Balichandrapur IIC Dillip Kumar Mohanty said “Dhinda has admitted to creating and circulating the AI-generated video on social media platforms. We are interrogating him.”
Jajpur SP Yash Pratap Shrimal cautioned youths in the district against engaging in such acts, warning that they could invite severe punishment.
