The cyber wing of the Kerala Police has registered a case against tech billionaire Elon Musk
The case comes at a sensitive time as Kerala heads to elections next month, with police saying the video could mislead voters and damage the credibility of constitutional institutions.
According to a report by news agency PTI, the controversial video allegedly showed a letter from the Election Commission bearing the stamp of the BJP’s Kerala unit.
The clip, which is one minute and 17 seconds long, was circulated on the platform and quickly turned into a political controversy in the state as it heads to the polls.
Police said the video was not removed from the X where it was originally posted, even after authorities were notified of the issue.
Police reported the video as misleading
In an official statement, the cyber wing said that the matter was reported through official channels, including the Election Commission of India itself.
“After verification, it was assessed that the materials have the potential to mislead the public, undermine the credibility of constitutional bodies, and negatively affect the holding of free and fair elections,” the agency quoted the statement as saying.
A case was registered late on Wednesday night at the cybercrime police station in Thiruvananthapuram, and an investigation has been launched, the police added.
The FIR reportedly names X account Laxmi N Raju (@valiant_Raju), along with others, including X Corp, as accused in the case. Authorities said the investigation will now focus on determining responsibility and taking action under the law.
According to the FIR mentioned in the news agency’s report, the video was uploaded “with the intention of creating riots in the community”, and despite the authorities’ directions to remove it, the platform allowed the content to continue circulating.
Legal notices and takedown requests have been issued
Legal notices have already been issued to the intermediary platform under the provisions of the Information Technology Act and its rules, seeking the immediate removal of the video, the police said.
The statement added that in line with the Model Code of Conduct, the Cyber Operations Wing took urgent steps to prevent further circulation of the clip.
“Members of the public are advised to exercise due caution and refrain from creating, sharing or amplifying unverified misleading content, especially during the election period,” police said.
The issue first came to light after the CPI(M) pointed out the matter on
The Election Commission had previously clarified that the problem was “purely a clerical error” and said it was corrected immediately.
