MLA cries foul, says man who made deepfake video honoured on R-Day

Jaipur/Jaisalmer: Independent MLA from Bayana constituency, Ritu Banawat, expressed outrage Thursday and asked the state govt to answer why a man who allegedly made an obscene deepfake video of her shortly after her election victory was honoured in Barmer on the 77th Republic Day for "outstanding work".

Speaking to the media on the assembly premises, Banawat said that she, along with other independent MLAs, filed a complaint about the fake video with additional director general of police, Dinesh MN, and also wrote to the Assembly Speaker. Following this, police arrested some accused and they were subsequently jailed, but the main accused, Dinesh Manju, a resident of Barmer, remained at large despite police raids on his known locations, the MLA said.

Banawat added, "I wrote to the chief minister regarding the matter, and while efforts for arrest were made, the main accused continues to evade capture."

She alleged a particularly distressing development: the main accused was honoured in Barmer on Republic Day for "outstanding work". She demanded to know on whose recommendation a person accused of creating a defamatory deepfake video of a woman MLA was given such recognition.

"If this can happen to a woman MLA, how easily must the voice of a common woman be suppressed? Are women still being taken lightly in this country?" she questioned and sought answers from the state govt and the Barmer district administration, asking if they were unaware of the accusation against Manju.

Banawat vowed not to remain silent over this issue. "I will not let anyone hurt my self-respect. I want an answer through the House and from the govt: on whose recommendation was that guilty person honoured?" she said.

Following Banawat's charge, the Barmer district administration late Thursday night issued an order withdrawing the district-level award given to Manju. District collector Tina Dabi said Manju had applied to be considered for the award for work in wildlife conservation and environmental protection and was honoured on the recommendation of a district-level committee. Dabi said the award was withdrawn with immediate effect after it came to notice that a police case had been registered against him.

Dabi also said departmental action was being initiated against the officials concerned for failing to place the report related to the police case before the district-level committee, and action would be taken against personnel who recommended Manju without verifying his antecedents with the police.