CHENNAI: A 34-year-old software engineer was arrested near Pallavaram for creating and sharing morphed obscene images of a woman colleague using AI technology and posting them on a fake Instagram account.
The accused, Gauri Shankar from Pozhichalur, worked at the software company where the victim, a 24-year-old married woman, was also working. Police said the woman came to know about the fake Instagram account through one of her school friends, who informed her of several obscene posts and messages using her name and photographs being shared online. He also told her that the account contained her home location.
The police said the accused had used photographs taken from her WhatsApp display picture and edited them with AI tools to create fake photos and videos. The fake Instagram account carried the woman's residential location link along with messages inviting strangers to visit her.
The woman immediately lodged a complaint with the Shankar Nagar All Women Police Station. Police registered a case, and during the inquiry, officials traced the fake Instagram activity to the mobile phone of Gauri Shankar. He was later brought in for questioning.
The police found that both the accused and the victim worked in the same software company in Perungalathur, and workplace disputes and personal ego issues may have led the accused to target the woman in an attempt to take revenge.
The accused was arrested by the all-women police and booked under multiple sections, including charges related to harassment of women, misuse of social media platforms, and creation and circulation of obscene morphed content. He was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody. The police have also informed the employer of Gauri Shankar's arrest.