Kerala police’s cyber wing has registered a case against tech billionaire Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) and one of its handles over an AI-generated video that allegedly portrayed the Prime Minister and the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a “misleading and defamatory manner”. Kerala cyber police registers FIR against X (Teitter) over video showing PM and ECi in a "misleading" manner (Representative image/REUTERS)

The case comes at a sensitive time as Kerala heads into elections next month, with police saying the video had the potential to mislead voters and damage the credibility of constitutional institutions.

According to a report by news agency PTI, the controversial video allegedly featured a letter of the Election Commission that carried the seal of the BJP’s Kerala unit.

The clip, which runs for 1 minute and 17 seconds, was circulated on the platform and quickly turned into a political controversy in the poll-bound state.

Police said the video had not been removed from the X handle where it was originally posted, even after the issue was brought to the authorities’ notice.

Police flag video as misleading In an official statement, the cyber wing said the matter was flagged through official channels, including the Election Commission of India itself.

"Upon verification, it was assessed that the material had the potential to mislead the public, undermine the credibility of constitutional bodies, and adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections," PTI quoted the statement.

The police added that a case had been registered late Wednesday night at the cyber crime police station in Thiruvananthapuram City and a probe had been launched.

The FIR reportedly names the X account Laxmi N Raju (@valiant_Raju), along with others, including X Corp , as accused in the case. Authorities said the probe will now focus on establishing responsibility and taking action under the law.

According to the FIR cited in the news agency's report, the video was uploaded “with the intention of causing riots in society”, and despite directions from authorities to remove it, the platform allowed the content to continue circulating.

Legal notices issued, removal sought Police said legal notices had already been issued to the intermediary platform under provisions of the Information Technology Act and its rules, seeking immediate removal of the video.

The statement added that, in line with the model code of conduct, the cyber operations wing had taken urgent steps to prevent further circulation of the clip.

"Members of the public are advised to exercise due caution and refrain from creating, sharing, or amplifying unverified or misleading content, particularly during the election period," police said.

The issue first came to light after the CPI(M) flagged the matter on X, sharing an affidavit attached to a March 19, 2019 letter sent to political parties that mistakenly carried the BJP Kerala seal instead of the Election Commission’s official seal.

The Election Commission had earlier clarified that the issue was “purely a clerical error” and said it had been corrected immediately.