#FactCheck: Viral Deepfake Video of Modi, Shah, Jaishankar Apologize for Operation Sindoor Blunder
Executive Summary:
Recently, we came upon some AI-generated deep fake videos that have gone viral on social media, purporting to show Indian political figures Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar apologizing in public for initiating "Operation Sindoor." The videos are fake and use artificial intelligence tools to mimic the leaders' voices and appearances, as concluded by our research. The purpose of this report is to provide a clear understanding of the facts and to reveal the truth behind these viral videos.
Claim:
Multiple videos circulating on social media claim to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Central Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar publicly apologised for launching "Operation Sindoor." The videos, which are being circulated to suggest a political and diplomatic failure, feature the leaders speaking passionately and expressing regret over the operation.
Fact Check:
Our research revealed that the widely shared videos were deepfakes made with artificial intelligence tools. Following the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, after “Operation Sindoor”, which was held by the Indian Armed Forces, this video emerged, intending to spread false propaganda and misinformation.
Finding important frames and visual clues from the videos that seemed suspicious, such as strange lip movements, misaligned audio, and facial distortions, was the first step in the fact-checking process. By putting audio samples and video frames in Hive AI Content Moderation, a program for detecting AI-generated content. After examining audio, facial, and visual cues, Hive's deepfake detection system verified that all three of the videos were artificial intelligence (AI) produced.
Below are three Hive Moderator result screenshots that clearly flag the videos as synthetic content, confirming that none of them are authentic or released by any official government source.
Conclusion:
The artificial intelligence-generated videos that claim Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar apologized for the start of "Operation Sindoor" are completely untrue. A purposeful disinformation campaign to mislead the public and incite political unrest includes these deepfake videos. No such apology has been made by the Indian government, and the operation in question does not exist in any official or verified capacity. The public must exercise caution, avoid disseminating videos that have not been verified, and rely on reliable fact-checking websites. Such disinformation can seriously affect national discourse and security in addition to eroding public trust.
- Claim: India's top executives apologize publicly for Operation Sindoor blunder.
- Claimed On: Social Media
- Fact Check: AI Misleads
Related Blogs
Executive Summary
Following the reported box office success of ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’, released on March 19, 2026, a video of Ranveer Singh visiting a temple is being widely shared on social media. Users claim that the actor visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to offer prayers after the film’s success. Research by CyberPeace found that the viral claim is misleading. The video of Ranveer Singh visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is not recent. It dates back to 2024, when he visited the temple with Kriti Sanon, and is unrelated to the release or success of ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’.
Claim
An Instagram user “newsbharatplus” shared the video on March 26, 2026, with a caption stating that after the massive success of Dhurandhar 2, Ranveer Singh visited the temple and performed rituals.
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search. This led us to a report published by Dainik Jagran on April 14, 2024. According to the report, Ranveer Singh had visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple along with Kriti Sanon and noted fashion designer Manish Malhotra. During the visit, the trio was seen offering prayers, wearing traditional attire, and applying sandalwood tilak.
https://www.jagran.com/entertainment/bollywood-ranveer-singh-and-kriti-sanon-visits-kashi-vishwanath-temple-with-manish-malhotra-see-photos-here-23696781.html
We also found a video report on the official YouTube channel of Times Now Navbharat, uploaded on April 15, 2024, showing Ranveer Singh and Kriti Sanon at the temple. The report also featured visuals from a fashion event held in Varanasi.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMuW_SVbfb4
Conclusion
The viral claim is misleading. The video of Ranveer Singh visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is not recent. It dates back to 2024, when he visited the temple with Kriti Sanon, and is unrelated to the release or success of ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’.
Modern international trade heavily relies on data transfers for the exchange of digital goods and services. User data travels across multiple jurisdictions and legal regimes, each with different rules for processing it. Since international treaties and standards for data protection are inadequate, states, in an effort to protect their citizens' data, have begun extending their domestic privacy laws beyond their borders. However, this opens a Pandora's box of legal and administrative complexities for both, the data protection authorities and data processors. The former must balance the harmonization of domestic data protection laws with their extraterritorial enforcement, without overreaching into the sovereignty of other states. The latter must comply with the data privacy laws in all states where it collects, stores, and processes data. While the international legal community continues to grapple with these challenges, India can draw valuable lessons to refine the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP) in a way that effectively addresses these complexities.
Why Extraterritorial Application?
Since data moves freely across borders and entities collecting such data from users in multiple states can misuse it or use it to gain an unfair competitive advantage in local markets, data privacy laws carry a clause on their extraterritorial application. Thus, this principle is utilized by states to frame laws that can ensure comprehensive data protection for their citizens, irrespective of the data’s location. The foremost example of this is the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), 2016, which applies to any entity that processes the personal data of its citizens, regardless of its location. Recently, India has enacted the DPDP Act of 2023, which includes a clause on extraterritorial application.
The Extraterritorial Approach: GDPR and DPDP Act
The GDPR is considered the toughest data privacy law in the world and sets a global standard in data protection. According to Article 3, its provisions apply not only to data processors within the EU but also to those established outside its territory, if they offer goods and services to and conduct behavioural monitoring of data subjects within the EU. The enforcement of this regulation relies on heavy penalties for non-compliance in the form of fines up to €20 million or 4% of the company’s global turnover, whichever is higher, in case of severe violations. As a result, corporations based in the USA, like Meta and Clearview AI, have been fined over €1.5 billion and €5.5 million respectively, under the GDPR.
Like the GDPR, the DPDP Act extends its jurisdiction to foreign companies dealing with personal data of data principles within Indian territory under section 3(b). It has a similar extraterritorial reach and prescribes a penalty of up to Rs 250 crores in case of breaches. However, the Act or DPDP Rules, 2025, which are currently under deliberation, do not elaborate on an enforcement mechanism through which foreign companies can be held accountable.
Lessons for India’s DPDP on Managing Extraterritorial Application
- Clarity in Definitions: GDPR clearly defines ‘personal data’, covering direct information such as name and identification number, indirect identifiers like location data, and, online identifiers that can be used to identify the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of a natural person. It also prohibits revealing special categories of personal data like religious beliefs and biometric data to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the subjects. On the other hand, the DPDP Act/ Rules define ‘personal data’ vaguely, leaving a broad scope for Big Tech and ad-tech firms to bypass obligations.
- International Cooperation: Compliance is complex for companies due to varying data protection laws in different countries. The success of regulatory measures in such a scenario depends on international cooperation for governing cross-border data flows and enforcement. For DPDP to be effective, India will have to foster cooperation frameworks with other nations.
- Adequate Safeguards for Data Transfers: The GDPR regulates data transfers outside the EU via pre-approved legal mechanisms such as standard contractual clauses or binding corporate rules to ensure that the same level of protection applies to EU citizens’ data even when it is processed outside the EU. The DPDP should adopt similar safeguards to ensure that Indian citizens’ data is protected when processed abroad.
- Revised Penalty Structure: The GDPR mandates a penalty structure that must be effective, proportionate, and dissuasive. The supervisory authority in each member state has the power to impose administrative fines as per these principles, up to an upper limit set by the GDPR. On the other hand, the DPDP’s penalty structure is simplistic and will disproportionately impact smaller businesses. It must take into regard factors such as nature, gravity, and duration of the infringement, its consequences, compliance measures taken, etc.
- Governance Structure: The GDPR envisages a multi-tiered governance structure comprising of
- National-level Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) for enforcing national data protection laws and the GDPR,
- European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) for monitoring the processing of personal data by EU institutions and bodies,
- European Commission (EC) for developing GDPR legislation
- European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for enabling coordination between the EC, EDPS, and DPAs
In contrast, the Data Protection Board (DPB) under DPDP will be a single, centralized body overseeing compliance and enforcement. Since its members are to be appointed by the Central Government, it raises questions about the Board’s autonomy and ability to apply regulations consistently. Further, its investigative and enforcement capabilities are not well defined.
Conclusion
The protection of the human right to privacy ( under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) in today’s increasingly interconnected digital economy warrants international standard-setting on cross-border data protection. In the meantime, States relying on the extraterritorial application of domestic laws is unavoidable. While India’s DPDP takes measures towards this, they must be refined to ensure clarity regarding implementation mechanisms. They should push for alignment with data protection laws of other States, and account for the complexity of enforcement in cases involving extraterritorial jurisdiction. As India sets out to position itself as a global digital leader, a well-crafted extraterritorial framework under the DPDP Act will be essential to promote international trust in India’s data governance regime.
Sources
- https://gdpr-info.eu/art-83-gdpr/
- https://gdpr-info.eu/recitals/no-150/
- https://gdpr-info.eu/recitals/no-51/
- https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/06/2bf1f0e9f04e6fb4f8fef35e82c42aa5.pdf
- https://www.eqs.com/compliance-blog/biggest-gdpr-fines/#:~:text=ease%20the%20burden.-,At%20a%20glance,In%20summary
- https://gdpr-info.eu/art-3-gdpr/
- https://www.legal500.com/developments/thought-leadership/gdpr-v-indias-dpdpa-key-differences-and-compliance-implications/#:~:text=Both%20laws%20cover%20'personal%20data,of%20personal%20data%20as%20sensitive.
Introduction
With the modernization of automobiles, so have the methods employed by criminals who seek to commit thefts. The old method of smashing a car window or bypassing an engine lock is no longer prevalent. Modern car thieves employ cloning techniques for keys and digital signals, and sophisticated methods to commit crimes without any traces left behind. In an era where intelligence is crucial, the forensic examination of car keys has become an indispensable tool for investigations, providing clues buried within ordinary car keys.
The Need for Car Key Forensics Today
Daily, thousands of cars worth millions are being hacked or stolen around the globe. The shocking thing is that most of these hacks do not have any sign of breakage or forced entry. It is because the thieves use vulnerabilities in the wireless key systems to unlock the vehicles without leaving any trace behind. Therefore, car-key forensics has now become more important than ever before.
Forensic Value of Smart Key
The smart key is not just comprised of locking and unlocking features for vehicles. Actually, it operates as a miniature computer within the key itself. Information such as pairing records, frequency of use, or the last instance that the key was used to unlock something could be contained in smart keys, thus offering evidence of any criminal activity conducted using these items.
Patterns of Vehicle Theft
Through the examination of the chip in a key, one will be able to establish whether the key was legally programmed or had been tampered with by some other means. Such forensics become more important when trying to detect and monitor any car theft rings, which employ cloning machines or software.
Confirming Ownership and Authenticity
In cases involving insurance claims or fraud, smart key data can help confirm whether the person making a claim actually owned or used the car during the incident. It’s digital proof that goes beyond what paperwork or statements can show.
Strengthening Legal Cases
When brought to court, data doesn’t lie. A properly handled forensic examination of a car key can provide hard evidence — the kind that holds up under questioning and supports or disproves claims with complete accuracy. In many cases, this small device becomes the most reliable witness in the investigation.
A Real-Life Example
Consider the following scenario: An expensive SUV is stolen from a parking lot secured with security surveillance. No one is captured on camera and there is no sign of forced entry. After days of investigation, the police end up arresting a suspect with a smart key.
During forensic analysis of the smart key, it is revealed that:
- The transponder has an ID number which can be matched against the immobilizer installed in the vehicle.
- The rolling code counter has been incremented in such a way that the date corresponds with the report of theft of the vehicle.
- The extracted information helps match the pair timestamp of the key with the particular make and model of the vehicle.
All this from a single piece of evidence – the smart key.
Inside a Smart Key: Where the Data Lives
An average smart key is not only a remote but also a multi-level set of data carriers:
- Plastic Shell– could include serial numbers and information on the manufacture.
- Battery – helps calculate the time of using the key or detect any modifications.
- Antenna Coil – sends encrypted information to the immobilizer of a car. Draw the picture of this element.
- Microchip / EEPROM – holds key identification code, rolling code, VIN number, and/or other information of the vehicle.
- Buttons / sensors – could record any pressing or transmission actions in some cases.
All the little devices above, once properly studied via forensics software, provide valuable information.
How the Investigator Uncovers the Truth
In relation to investigating the true story about a vehicle, it is no different than handling other forms of digital evidence, as forensic analysts treat the car key in the same way. It is nothing more than an encrypted device in your hands, and using special techniques, they are able to reveal the information contained within the device.
Some of the methods used by modern forensic laboratories include:
1. Intercepting Radio Signals
Any intelligent key transmits radio signals to communicate with a car. Specialists employ advanced antennas and radio frequency (RF) analysers to catch and analyse them. This way, it is possible to understand the interaction between the key and the car – how often was it used, what kind of authentication procedure takes place, and if the signal matches the car’s one or has been forged somehow.
2. Checking Out the Key’s Brain (Analysis of EEPROM)
There is always a special chip on the key that is responsible for its activity. The chip contains an important memory module (EEPROM – Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), which holds various data, including key IDs and rolling codes. It can be carefully retrieved via advanced tools. Thus, it is possible to determine whether somebody tried to tamper with the key.
3. The Correlation between the Key and Car’s Information
The information stored inside the key will not be used separately since investigators will correlate the key's data with that of the vehicle itself (ECU and immobilizer). If the two kinds of information coincide, the investigation may conclude that the key belongs to the vehicle. Otherwise, this may mean either cloning or tampering.
4. Identifying the Tampering and Cloning Evidence
As was mentioned above, thieves sometimes resort to using unlawful programming devices for duplicating smart car keys. In order to detect possible cloning, experts examine the key using various diagnostic devices to find out whether the keys were modified by changing the encryption code, frequencies, and hardware itself.
At the end of the process, some kind of miracle occurs because of the following: all actions committed with this particular key become documented, recorded inside the device itself. Even if someone tries to hide anything or remove any information concerning this particular incident, there will always remain some data.
Car Key Forensics in the Future
The evolution of cars to connect with other devices and adopt self-driving technologies requires new investigative methods to be used for vehicle-related crimes. Advanced car keys or smartphone apps that replace physical keys will likely incorporate biometric authentication, cloud integration, or blockchain records of key activity in the near future.
Such improvements will pose several threats and offer many benefits:
- Artificial intelligence tools can determine if the car key is cloned based on its behaviour pattern.
- Blockchain validation ensures all key-related activities are recorded and cannot be altered.
- Cyber-forensic protocols will become increasingly necessary for investigating criminal activity related to vehicles.
Car key forensics technology will not only allow solving crimes but may become instrumental in crime prevention.
Conclusion
A car key in this era is more than just an unlocking mechanism; it is a miniature data storage facility, which can yield information about the user, intentions, and access rights. The more cars become technologically advanced, the more the examination of smart keys becomes necessary as part of correlating physical evidence with digital investigation. It clearly indicates how small objects such as keys can play pivotal roles in cracking cases.
