Neutral NewsDelhi Police Files FIR Against Prashant Bhushan Over Doctored Video of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
The Delhi Police Special Cell registered an FIR against advocate Prashant Bhushan.
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The Hindu National
The Delhi Police Special Cell registered an FIR against advocate Prashant Bhushan. He shared an AI-manipulated video of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The video falsely depicted Lavrov claiming that India was neither an ally nor a superpower. It suggested Russia was not bound to follow Indian advice. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Russian Embassy said the video was fake; the Ministry's Fact Check unit flagged it on November 3, 2026. Bhushan deleted the post. He now faces charges under the BNS and the Information Technology Act for forgery, defamation, and identity theft.
Context
The incident followed a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. An online video appeared to show the Russian minister criticizing India’s foreign policy and its relationship with Russia. Advocate Prashant Bhushan shared the footage. The Ministry of External Affairs’ Fact Check unit and the Russian Embassy declared the video a digital fabrication before the police registered a First Information Report (FIR).
The Ministry of External Affairs’ Fact Check unit officially flagged the video as fake on November 3, 2026. The Delhi Police registered an FIR against Prashant Bhushan for circulating the doctored material.
Supportive perspectives
The Delhi Police Special Cell registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Prashant Bhushan on November 4, 2026. The police accused him of forgery and identity theft. The charges include Section 336(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. This section addresses forgery intended to harm a reputation. The case also includes Section 66C of the Information Technology Act.
Cyber monitoring revealed a doctored video shared from Prashant Bhushan’s account, @pbhushan1. Officers invoked Section 353(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The statute prohibits circulating false information intended to incite one community against another.
The First Information Report (FIR) cites Section 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) regarding the fraudulent use of forged electronic records. Police also charged Bhushan under Section 356 of the BNS for the publication of defamatory material.
Critical perspectives
Prashant Bhushan deleted a social media post containing a video after India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Russian Embassy in India stated the content was fabricated.
A doctored video falsely depicted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying that India and Russia are only trading partners. The footage claimed India has no right to influence Russian foreign policy. It also asserted that India is neither an ally nor a superpower whose advice Russia must follow. Prashant Bhushan shared this video on social media and described the comments as a "tight slap."
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