In a significant revelation that underscores the evolving nature of information warfare targeting Bharat’s internal affairs, the Delhi Police has identified and blocked more than 400 social media accounts allegedly operated from Pakistan for disseminating fabricated content related to the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar. The operation, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh, has exposed a coordinated cross-border disinformation campaign leveraging artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes, manipulated visuals, and edited official statements to mislead the public and destabilize public order.

The Scale and Sophistication of the Operation

Addressing a press briefing on July 25, 2026, amid the ongoing student agitation over the NEET paper leak controversy, DCP Central Rohit Rajbir Singh detailed the findings of an extensive investigation. “Our investigation also revealed that some social media accounts operated from Pakistan are spreading fake content. Delhi Police, in collaboration with the concerned agencies, is continuously working to identify more such accounts. More than 400 such handles have been identified so far and blocked for spreading AI-generated content, deepfake videos, edited photos and other false content related to the protests,” Singh stated.

The blocked accounts were not merely sharing misleading captions or out-of-context footage. According to police, these handles employed sophisticated AI tools to generate deepfake videos, create fabricated photographs, and manipulate visual content with a degree of technical sophistication that makes detection difficult for the average social media user. The content targeted multiple facets of the protest narrative — from false claims of police brutality and custodial deaths to fabricated statements attributed to senior government and military officials.

A Recurring Pattern: Operation Sindoor Link

Perhaps most alarming was the revelation that this was not an isolated operation. “Some such handles were also found active in spreading fake information during Operation Sindoor. These social media accounts tried to mislead people by editing official statements of several senior officers and manipulating visual content,” DCP Singh added.

Operation Sindoor, launched by the Bharatiya armed forces in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The fact that the same network of accounts was reactivated for the current student protests suggests a standing disinformation infrastructure maintained across the border, ready to be deployed during moments of domestic sensitivity in Bharat. Earlier reports from July 22-23 indicated the number of blocked handles could be as high as 480, with Delhi Police initially identifying 480 Pakistan-based accounts involved in coordinated misinformation campaigns.

Anatomy of the Disinformation Campaign

The Bharatiya Army’s Fact Check unit and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check team have been working in tandem with Delhi Police to debunk the false narratives. Among the fabricated content flagged by authorities was an AI-generated deepfake falsely claiming Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had warned protesting students they would face the “full force of the state”. Another doctored video attributed fabricated remarks about the protests to former Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, while a third manipulated clip showed Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh commenting on the Delhi agitation — all confirmed as digitally altered by fact-checkers.

PIB Fact Check also dismissed rumors of protester deaths, citing Delhi Police confirmation that no casualties had occurred. The pattern identified by the Bharatiya Army’s Fact Check cell reveals a systematic methodology: genuine videos are altered with fabricated audio, false attributions, and misleading captions to undermine public trust in Bharat’s armed forces and government institutions.

The Protest Context: NEET Paper Leak and CJP Agitation

The protests at Jantar Mantar, which began in mid-July 2026, were organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and student groups demanding accountability in the NEET-UG examination paper leak scandal. The agitation has drawn thousands of students and aspirants to the capital’s designated protest site, creating a volatile information environment where rumors spread rapidly.

DCP Singh emphasized this vulnerability: “A protest has been going on at Jantar Mantar for the past several weeks by the Cockroach Janata Party… Information on social media goes viral very quickly, but not every post, video, or photo is necessarily accurate. It is extremely important to fact-check any information before trusting it or sharing it further”.

Delhi Police has rebutted at least 18 instances of alleged fake news and misleading social media posts since the protests began, including claims that a 12-year-old girl and a woman protester were assaulted by police, that CJP founder Abhijit Dipke had been detained, that a girl died in a stampede following a police lathicharge, and that police personnel used pellet guns or batons fitted with nails during clashes.

Institutional Response and Public Advisory

Beyond blocking accounts, Delhi Police has formed a Special Task Force within the Crime Branch to combat paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations — addressing the root grievance driving the protests. “In line with the Government of Bharat’s commitment to combat paper leaks and irregularities in various competitive exams, the Delhi Police has formed a Special Task Force within the Crime Branch. This team will be led by a DCP-level officer and supervised by the Special CP, Crime,” Singh announced.

On the information front, police are actively monitoring social media platforms and using official handles to share verified information, helping citizens distinguish between genuine and false content. “We are continuously sharing information on fake news, AI and deepfake videos, edited clips, and misleading posts through our social media handles so that people can differentiate between true and false information,” the DCP stated.

Maharashtra Cyber has also joined the effort, identifying over 500 profiles and 429 objectionable posts linked to what it described as a cross-border disinformation campaign during the CJP protests, with legal action and takedown requests underway.

Implications for Digital Security and Democratic Discourse

This episode highlights the growing threat of state-sponsored or state-tolerated disinformation operations leveraging generative AI technologies. The ability to produce convincing deepfakes at scale, combined with established networks of inauthentic accounts, allows foreign actors to inject fabricated narratives into domestic political discourse with unprecedented speed and sophistication.

For a democracy like Bharat, where social media serves as a primary information source for millions, the implications are profound. The Delhi Police operation — identifying, blocking, and publicly exposing the network — represents a necessary but reactive measure. The broader challenge requires a multi-layered response: enhanced platform accountability, widespread media literacy initiatives, rapid fact-checking infrastructure, and potentially, legislative frameworks addressing synthetic media.

As DCP Singh urged, the first line of defense remains an informed citizenry: “Don’t share any post without verification.” In an era where seeing is no longer believing, that caution has never been more critical.