On May 22, 2026, a series of AI-generated images and video clips falsely depicting actress Rukmini Vasanth in a green bikini during a poolside photoshoot began flooding social media platforms. The content spread rapidly. Many fans initially believed the images were genuine before the actress publicly clarified the matter.
The visuals showed the actress purportedly posing beside a swimming pool in a bikini photoshoot. According to the actress, her face was superimposed onto another individual’s body using AI and deepfake technology, creating fabricated visuals that falsely appeared to depict her.
Actress issues public statement
Rukmini Vasanth took to Instagram and wrote: “My team and I have come across certain AI-generated images being circulated online claiming to be me. I want to state clearly that these images are entirely fake and fabricated. The creation and circulation of such manipulated content is deeply irresponsible and a serious violation of privacy.”
She added that legal and cybercrime action was being initiated against those responsible. “We are taking this matter seriously and initiating the necessary legal and cybercrime action against those involved in creating and spreading these images. Requesting everyone to refrain from sharing or engaging with such content,” she said.
In her complaint, the actress called the fake content a case of “character assassination.”
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FIR filed at Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police Station
Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police registered an FIR against 29 social media accounts on June 2 in connection with the circulation of fake bikini videos and photographs of the actress.
The case involves nine Instagram accounts, 14 X accounts, and six Facebook pages, according to police. The FIR was registered at the Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police Station following a formal complaint by the actress.
She told police that the circulation of the manipulated content caused her significant distress and embarrassment. She further alleged that the material was created and shared with the intention of tarnishing her reputation and character.
Legal sections invoked
The cybercrime police registered the case under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, as well as Sections 75(3), 79, 336, 356, 351, 352, and 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Section 66C of the IT Act deals with identity theft. Section 66D covers cheating by impersonation using computer resources. The BNS sections invoked cover criminal intimidation, defamation, and acts intended to outrage modesty.
Police seek details from Meta
As part of the probe, Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police have reached out to Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, seeking account details and URL information linked to the accused profiles. Nine of the 29 flagged accounts are on Instagram and six are on Facebook, both Meta-owned platforms. Police need this data to identify the individuals behind the accounts and trace the origin of the deepfake content.
This approach mirrors a pattern established in earlier deepfake cases in India. When a deepfake video of actress Rashmika Mandanna went viral in 2023, Delhi Police wrote to Meta to access the URL ID of the account from which the video was generated, and also sought information about the people who shared the fake video on social media.
The same legal mechanism is now being used in the Rukmini Vasanth case. Meta has standard processes for responding to law enforcement requests from India under the IT Act. Police are expected to formally route their request through Meta’s law enforcement portal.
Actress speaks to media
At an event in Bengaluru, when reporters asked whether she had filed a complaint, Rukmini stated: “I have just filed the police complaint. So, I have full faith that our cybercrime department will look into it. Not just actresses, this happens to a lot of girls. I don’t think it’s something to be done. It starts with actresses, but this happens to a lot of girls.”
She also appealed to the public not to share fabricated material on social media.
Who is Rukmini Vasanth
Rukmini Vasanth made her entry into the film industry as a heroine with the Kannada film ‘Birbal’ in 2019. She gained wider recognition in Kannada and Telugu with the film ‘Saptha Sagaralu Dati’ in 2023. She has gained national attention for her role in the film ‘Kantara Chapter 2’.
The actress is the daughter of late Indian Army officer Colonel Vasanth Venugopal and Bharatanatyam dancer Subhashini Vasanth. Colonel Vasanth was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime military decoration, for bravery during an operation against militants in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir in 2007.
A broader problem
Back in late 2023, when Rashmika Mandanna deepfake case shocked the industry, Rukmini Vasanth was one of the vocal regional voices who spoke out. By 2026, the technology has become even more sophisticated making it harder for the average internet user to separate fiction from reality without an official clarification.
The actress highlighted the growing misuse of artificial intelligence and said such incidents are becoming more frequent.
Currently there is no standalone law criminalising deepfakes. Existing provisions under IT Act and BNS are being stretched to cover such offences.