Controversy Erupts as Telangana IAS Officer Faces Police Notice Over AI-Generated Image

Police Action Against IAS Officer

In Hyderabad, the Telangana Police have issued a notice to senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal for sharing an AI-generated image on social media that depicted the bulldozing of a 400-acre area near Hyderabad Central University.

The Cyberabad Police served the notice under section 179 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to Smita Sabharwal, who serves as the principal secretary for Youth Advancement, Tourism, and Culture.

On March 31, the IAS officer shared a tweet from the 'Hi Hyderabad' account featuring an image of bulldozers in front of Mushroom Rock on Kancha Gachibowli land, illustrated in a Ghibli style with a peacock and two deer.

This action came amid protests from students at HCU, environmental activists, and opposition parties regarding the alleged destruction of forest land in the Kancha Gachibowli area.

Additionally, the bureaucrat reposted a tweet on Wednesday that criticized the Telangana government's actions.

Minister for Industries and Information Technology, D. Sridhar Babu, stated that the government would take legal action concerning Smita Sabharwal's post.

He emphasized that misleading videos and images were impacting various institutions.

Previously, Smita Sabharwal was a prominent officer under the former BRS government, serving as secretary to the Chief Minister. Following the Congress party's rise to power, she was reassigned from the Chief Minister's Office to the Telangana State Finance Commission and later to her current department.

The police's notice to the IAS officer follows multiple cases filed by Gachibowli Police regarding the distribution of AI-generated visuals.

Four FIRs have been lodged against BRS social media representatives Krishank Manne and Konatham Dileep, who have been questioned twice.

The Telangana government has expressed serious concern over the spread of fabricated videos and images related to Kancha Gachibowli lands, even filing a court request for an investigation into the use of AI in creating misleading content.

The government has raised alarms about the controversy generated by these fake visuals on social media, which falsely suggested that the government had seized land from Hyderabad Central University.

Reports indicate that some individuals with vested interests created deceptive videos and AI images showing distressed peacocks and injured deer fleeing from bulldozers. Notably, several prominent figures mistakenly believed these fabricated visuals and shared them online.

A recent meeting led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy highlighted that Union Minister Kishan Reddy, former Minister Jagadish Reddy, social media influencer Dhruv Rathi, and celebrities like John Abraham, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon contributed to the misinformation by posting these fake videos and images.