Police registered two FIRs over alleged morphed and objectionable social media posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meta India Head Named As Co-Accused In Two FIRs
Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have registered two separate cases against operators of several Facebook and Instagram accounts and named Meta India Managing Director and Head Arun Srinivas as a co-accused.
The cases concern allegations that digitally manipulated images, reels and videos targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi were circulated on Meta-owned platforms during protests linked to the student examination paper leak controversy.
Srinivas has led Meta’s India operations since July 1, 2025. His inclusion in an FIR does not establish guilt, and police have said the investigation remains at a preliminary stage. No arrest of the Meta India head was reported at the time of publication.
The FIRs were registered after complaints were submitted by two BJP supporters. Police are examining who created, uploaded and amplified the disputed material and whether the platform acted appropriately after the content was reported.
Meta India Case Involves Facebook And Instagram Posts
One complainant, Telangana BJP social media member T Saikiran Goud, reportedly submitted 20 Facebook and Instagram links that he alleged contained morphed and objectionable videos of the Prime Minister.
A second complainant, S Aravind Reddy, alleged that certain accounts circulated digitally manipulated material featuring Modi, former Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the US president. The complaints claimed that the posts were derogatory, misleading and capable of disturbing public order.
Some of the reported posts had been deleted or had become inaccessible in India by Thursday evening. Police also issued a notice to Meta seeking information about the cases, the disputed links and the people operating the identified accounts. Investigators are expected to examine account details, upload histories, digital evidence and the manner in which the material spread across the platforms.
Meta India FIR Invokes BNS And IT Act Sections
The cases were registered under Sections 66-C and 67 of the Information Technology Act, which relate to identity theft and publishing or transmitting obscene electronic material.
Police also invoked Sections 353(2) and 336(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering alleged statements conducive to public mischief and forged electronic records intended to harm a person’s reputation.
The allegations have not yet been proven in court. Investigators must determine whether the account operators created or knowingly distributed manipulated material and whether criminal liability can legally be attributed to the platform or its local leadership.
Meta India Faces Wider Content Moderation Scrutiny
The FIRs come shortly after the Union government sought an explanation from Meta over the temporary restriction of a Facebook post carrying Modi’s video message on the student protests.
Meta said the post had been restricted inadvertently. The company informed authorities that it had introduced new protocols for accounts belonging to prominent individuals to prevent similar incidents.
The Hyderabad cases place renewed attention on how social media companies detect manipulated media, respond to complaints and comply with intermediary obligations. They also raise legal questions about the extent to which company executives can be held responsible for content posted by individual users. Further action will depend on the digital evidence collected, the identification of the account operators and Meta’s response to the police notice.
