Stories
Pakistani Handlers Weaponised Delhi Protests Using Stolen Profiles and Recycled Videos
- •Indian intelligence and Delhi Police confirmed a cross-border digital operation from Pakistan that established a fake media entity named Bharat Bytes and a bot network to manipulate public perception.
- •Operatives created thousands of deceptive proxy accounts using stolen images and Indian names to mimic local activists and project false narratives of state violence and mass casualties.
- •The network used a synchronised amplification funnel, reposting manipulated content within seconds and pushing false claims to non-BJP-governed regions to provoke agitation.
- •Digital forensics exposed fabricated claims of police firing and military intervention during the October 10 protests, using recycled archival footage from earlier events.
- •Law enforcement initiated formal takedown requests with social media platforms and registered multiple FIRs under cybersecurity and criminal conspiracy provisions.
Key Questions Answered
Foreign-operated handles circulated false reports alleging that Delhi Police opened fire during the October 10 demonstrations, claiming 13 deaths and 33 injuries using recycled archival footage from February 2024. Other fabricated posts falsely claimed law enforcement injured MP Rahul Gandhi or that the Indian Army entered New Delhi to enforce martial control.
Operatives created thousands of deceptive proxy accounts using stolen regional profile images, domestic names, and fluent local languages to mimic Indian volunteers and activists. This network used a multi-stage funnel where secondary bots instantly amplified posts, cross-posting them to Telegram and WhatsApp to manipulate regional trending algorithms.
Cyber-crime divisions and specialized law enforcement units initiated formal takedown requests with major social media platforms to neutralize the network's proxy infrastructure. Authorities have also registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) under provisions regulating cybersecurity, criminal conspiracy, and public mischief.
