Deepfake Crimes and the Indian Criminal Justice System: Legal Challenges, Evidentiary Issues and the Need for Reform

The research investigates how deepfake technology has led to increased criminal activities in India while assessing the Indian judicial system's response to new criminal laws. The research examines how deepfakes enable impersonation-based fraud and cause damage to people's reputation and leverage digital platforms to create public disturbances. The research maps common deepfake fact-patterns to relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and evaluates procedural readiness under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, particularly the handling of electronic complaints and documented seizure of digital devices. The assessment investigates the requirements for evidence presentation under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, which includes the processes for verifying and approving electronic document evidence. The study defines institutional limitations which affect police operations and cyber forensic investigations and legal processes and judicial evaluation of synthetic media content and presents suggestions for improving investigation methods and forensic capabilities and platform responsibility to achieve better victim protection and crime deterrence.