Gujarat Police arrest Surat man for fake Jantar Mantar protest post
Synopsis
A Surat fashion video creator was arrested for fabricating a social media post falsely claiming a girl died at the Jantar Mantar students' protest — a post that went viral within hours. The arrest, driven by the Surat Cyber Crime Branch's social media monitoring team, underscores how quickly authorities are now moving to contain digital misinformation during live protest events.
Key Takeaways
Aditya Baraiya , 25, a fashion video creator from Surat , was arrested on Saturday, 26 July 2025 by the Surat City Crime Branch .
He allegedly circulated a fabricated Facebook post falsely claiming a girl died at the Jantar Mantar students' protest in New Delhi .
The post went viral on 24 July ; police confirmed no such incident had occurred.
The case is registered at Umra Police Station under Sections 192, 336(2), 336(4), and 353(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 66(D) of the IT Act, 2008 .
The operation was carried out under directions of the Surat Police Commissioner using technical surveillance and human intelligence across WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Instagram .
The Surat City Crime Branch on Saturday, 26 July 2025, arrested a 25-year-old fashion video creator for allegedly circulating a fabricated social media post falsely linked to the ongoing students' protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Police said the doctored content was designed to spread false rumours, incite hostility, and disturb public peace.
What the Fake Post Claimed
The post, which went viral on 24 July, carried the caption 'Heartfelt tribute to a girl at Jantar Mantar, Delhi', accompanied by a photograph of a girl. Surat Police confirmed that no such incident had occurred and that the electronic content was fabricated and circulated on Facebook to provoke unrest during the students' demonstration.
How the Accused Was Traced
Following the post's rapid spread, the Cyber Crime Police Station registered a case and initiated an investigation. Acting on technical surveillance, social media monitoring, and human intelligence inputs, the Surat City Crime Branch identified and apprehended the operator of the Facebook account. The accused has been identified as Aditya Baraiya, a fashion video creator residing at Vidhata Apartment, L.H. Road, Varachha area, Surat. He originally hails from Bela village in Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar district.
Charges Filed and Legal Action
After his arrest, Baraiya was handed over to the Surat Cyber Crime Police Station for further investigation. The case has been registered at Umra Police Station under Sections 192, 336(2), 336(4), and 353(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2008. This combination of charges covers fabrication of false evidence, acts endangering public peace, and online impersonation.
Heightened Social Media Monitoring
Officials said the surveillance was conducted on the directions of the Surat Police Commissioner and the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), with the Cyber Crime Branch's Social Media Monitoring Team deploying both technical tools and human intelligence to track potentially unlawful online activity across WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Instagram. This comes amid a broader pattern of law enforcement agencies intensifying digital monitoring during periods of public protest across India.
Police Advisory to Citizens
In a public advisory, Surat City Police urged citizens not to share reels, posts, or other social media content without first verifying its authenticity. The force also appealed to the public to report fake posts or reels to the nearest police station to help prevent the spread of misinformation and preserve social harmony. The arrest signals that authorities are taking a zero-tolerance approach to digital misinformation linked to active protest events.
Point of View
And their application during an active students' protest deserves scrutiny. That said, fabricating a death at a live demonstration is a particularly dangerous category of disinformation — capable of triggering real-world violence within hours, as India's recent history shows. The speed of the Surat Cyber Crime Branch's response also signals that law enforcement's social media monitoring infrastructure is now sophisticated enough to act within 24 hours of a post going viral, a capability with implications well beyond this case.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the Surat fake Jantar Mantar post case?
Aditya Baraiya, a 25-year-old fashion video creator from Varachha area of Surat, was arrested by the Surat City Crime Branch. He originally belongs to Bela village in Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar district.
What did the fake social media post claim?
The post, which went viral on 24 July, carried the caption 'Heartfelt tribute to a girl at Jantar Mantar, Delhi' along with a photograph of a girl. Surat Police confirmed that no such incident had taken place and that the content was fabricated.
What charges have been filed against Aditya Baraiya?
The case has been registered at Umra Police Station under Sections 192, 336(2), 336(4), and 353(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2008. The charges relate to fabrication of false evidence, acts endangering public peace, and online impersonation.
How did Surat Police track down the accused?
The Surat City Crime Branch used a combination of technical surveillance, social media monitoring, and human intelligence to identify the operator of the Facebook account. The operation was conducted on the directions of the Surat Police Commissioner and the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime).
What has Surat City Police advised citizens to do about fake posts?
Surat City Police has urged citizens not to share reels, posts, or other social media content without first verifying its authenticity. It has also asked the public to report fake or misleading posts to the nearest police station to help prevent misinformation and maintain social harmony.
