Identity Theft in the Digital Age: False Claims Target Private Citizen

A 55-year-old photography teacher from Byculla, Mumbai, filed a police complaint at the Kalachowki station after a YouTube channel named “gk-shorts-videos” published a misleading short video falsely portraying him as the husband of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde. The complainant discovered the video on August 26, 2026, after receiving a link from a neighbor, which prompted an FIR on August 27 for defamation and unauthorized use of his photographs alongside personal details including his name, education, religion, and family background. The Mumbai Police have initiated a technical investigation to trace the channel’s IP address and identify the anonymous content creator, while reviewing screenshots and video evidence provided by the teacher to determine the full scope of the misinformation.