Archita Phukan, an Assamese woman who recently went viral online for so-called “provocative” posts, has now been revealed as a victim of a disturbing deepfake cybercrime. The shocking case involved a former college mate using AI tools to morph her photos and videos, creating a fake persona that gained millions of followers and wrongly pushed her into the spotlight.
From Viral Sensation to Cybercrime Victim
The controversy started when an Instagram account, filled with adult-themed content featuring morphed images of the woman, gained over one million followers in just a few days. The most viral post, uploaded on July 2, showed a fake image of the woman with adult star Kendra Lust, implying she was entering the adult industry. But that wasn’t the truth.
Instead, the woman — who is married and around 30 years old — filed a complaint with Dibrugarh police on Saturday, stating that someone had morphed her images using AI and spread them online without her consent.
Accused Identified as Former College Mate
The accused, Pratim Bora, a 30-year-old mechanical engineer from Tinsukia with a work-from-home job, was arrested Saturday night. According to police, Bora and the woman attended college together from 2013 to 2017, and she confirmed knowing him when police cross-checked the identity.
Dibrugarh SSP in-charge Sizal Agarwal said, “She gave us the Instagram page as evidence. From the contact details linked to that profile, we tracked down the accused.” Bora was reportedly using AI tools like OpenArt and Midjourney to create the deepfakes.
Digital Evidence and Monetization
During the arrest, police seized multiple devices, including a laptop, phones, hard disk, tablet, pen drive, and SIM cards. Since the case is still in the early stages, more data will be gathered from digital forensic sources and agencies.
Investigations also uncovered that Bora monetized the fake content. “He began by harassing the woman, but later set up a Linktree page with a paid subscription system,” said ASP Agarwal. “He earned close to Rs 10 lakh from this, and the money made him continue the crime.”
Charges and Legal Action
Bora has been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Outraging a woman’s modesty
- Sexual harassment
- Circulation of obscene content
- Criminal intimidation
- Defamation
- Creation of false material
The police are now working to uncover how many fake profiles and IDs he may have created and what credentials he used.
The Bigger Picture
The case has highlighted how AI tools can be misused for personal revenge and online exploitation, raising serious concerns about digital safety. What started as an online mystery with scandalous headlines has now become a cautionary tale of cyber abuse, privacy invasion, and the dark potential of AI.
