Assam Police arrested a man for making a fake social media account of influencer Archita Phukan and sharing AI-generated and morphed content to harass her. The accused is her former partner and admitted to the crime.
A man has been arrested in Assam's Dibrugarh for allegedly creating a fake social media account and introduced it as influencer Archita Phukan. He shared victim's morphed and AI-generated images to defame and harass her.
The accused, Pratim Bora, is alleged former partner of Phukan and had reportedly gone into hiding. He was arrested on Saturday evening after the police traced his location using his phone's IP address and technical data.
What the police found
Police said Pratim Bora, a resident of Tinsukia, had created the fake Instagram page and even a subscription-based website to share edited and AI-generated content using victim's face.
Related Articles
The fake content included images showing her alongside Kendra Lust, a known name in the adult industry, which eventually added to wide fame and speculations. Bora reportedly earned around Rs 10 lakh through subscriptions on the website.
Dibrugarh police chief Sizal Agarwal said that Bora's intention was mostly to harass and shame the victim after their relationship ended. His phone and laptop have been seized and sent for forensic tests.
Complaint filed by victim's family
The case came to light after victim's brother filed a complaint. The police then began tracing the fake profile and found that the account was linked to Bora's mobile number.
According to investigators, Bora admitted during questioning that he sourced images from victim's old social media posts and edited them. He said he acted out of anger and emotional frustration following their breakup.
Victim's statement and impact on her mental health
The victim reportedly told the police that the images circulating on social media were not real. She confirmed that she studied with Bora in college and knew him personally.
She also stated that the images were AI-edited and created to harm her reputation. According to police, the widespread circulation of these photos has affected her mental health and she will need counselling and support.
Legal action under new laws
Police said an FIR has been filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Officers added that they may also invoke sections of the Information Technology Act, which deals with:
- Cyber fraud
- Identity theft
- Defamation
- Obscenity
- Invasion of privacy
Bora is currently in police custody and will be produced in court soon.
The confusion about Archita Phukan
After the viral post with Kendra Lust, many assumed Archita Phukan was a social media influencer from Assam. The account gained wide attention through bold content and a backstory that she forced sex work and a six-year struggle to escape it.
In a 2023 Instagram post, Archita said she had paid Rs 25 lakh to leave that life behind. The post became viral and some entertainment pages picked up the story. However, there were claims that her images were heavily edited and that a team might be managing the page.
There is no official confirmation about who she really is and no one from her team has spoken publicly.
Rumours of links to adult industry
Earlier, online users suggested that Archita or her page may have links to Kendra Lust's brand, hinting at a possible debut in adult media. But there is no proof and there is no information from Kendra Lust's team.
So far, all such claims remain speculation.
Bigger concerns: How real is online content?
This case has raised important questions about AI ethics, privacy and digital trust.
Many people noticed that Archita’s posts looked too perfect. There are no live videos, no public events and everything on her page seems heavily edited. Some even wondered and questioned if the person behind the account was real at all.
The growing use of AI tools to create fake identities or manipulate real ones is becoming a major challenge for law enforcement and social media users.
The arrest of Pratim Bora is not just about one influencer being harassed. It highlights the danger of misusing technology, especially AI and deepfake tools, to ruin someone's image.
The police acted quickly to nab the culprit, but this case shows how fragile digital identity has become in the age of artificial intelligence and deepfakes.
