CJP leaders receive notices after the High Court requests that Meta remove images of women that have been altered.

The leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Ratna Singh, received notices from the Delhi High Court on Friday. This comes a day after a case was filed against “unknown persons” in response to a woman’s claims that her image was altered and shared without her permission during this year’s Jantar Mantar protests.

Additionally, the High Court mandated that social media behemoth Meta take down any offensive images and links associated with the woman from its sites within a day. The Court also sent a notice to the Delhi Police on the woman’s petition and ordered police protection for her. Delhi Police are required to submit a status report within the next two weeks.

“This is an extraordinary position in which the matter is not of one woman, it is a matter about the Prime Minister of the country. If they are not sensitive, I will make sure that they are sensitive,” Delhi High Court’s Justice Girish Kathpalia said.

Following a woman’s complaint to Delhi Police that her photo was reportedly altered using artificial intelligence and face-swapping technology during the CJP-led rallies at Jantar Mantar, a formal complaint was filed against “unknown persons.” The CJP leaders mentioned in the complaint were not included as defendants in the police-registered FIR.

The woman claimed that artificial intelligence (AI) and face-swap technology were used to falsely overlay her photo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s. She further said that a video including the image was shared on social media, especially Instagram, and that the altered photo was put on big banners and posters at the demonstration, along with offensive slogans.

Among others, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das were the targets of a complaint. Dipke, Das, and Ranka were not named as accused in the FIR, nevertheless.

The agitation spearheaded by the CJP started on June 20 and lasted for over a month. Protesters and security guards clashed during the movement’s march toward Parliament. Tear gas shells and lathis were used by security personnel to scatter the demonstrators. On July 25, the agitation was canceled. Following the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the government’s acceptance of the CJP’s other demands, the rally was decided to halt.