A 19-year-old college student from Faridabad, Rahul Bharti, has died by suicide after allegedly being blackmailed with AI-generated obscene images and videos involving himself and his sisters. The distressing incident occurred on Saturday evening, prompting police to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Rahul, a second-year BCom student at DAV College, had been facing severe mental stress for about two weeks due to threats from two unidentified individuals. These suspects reportedly hacked into his phone and contacted him via WhatsApp, demanding ₹20,000 to prevent the circulation of the fabricated content. His father, Manoj Bharti, revealed that Rahul had become withdrawn, eating little and speaking infrequently, which raised concerns among family members.

On the day of the incident, Rahul consumed poison in his room around 7 PM. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he could not be saved. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are working to identify the suspects. Investigators are examining Rahul's phone, chat history, and social media accounts to understand how the accused accessed his personal data and created the deepfake content.

In the course of the investigation, police discovered messages between Rahul and a man named Sahil, who allegedly sent the obscene visuals and threatened to make them public if the ransom was not paid. Reports indicate that Sahil even encouraged Rahul to take his own life, suggesting methods to do so. The family suspects that another individual, Neeraj Bharti, may also be involved in the blackmail scheme, stemming from a family dispute six months prior.

The police have emphasized the seriousness of this case as a significant example of cybercrime and the misuse of AI technology. They have urged the public to report any instances of online harassment and to be cautious about sharing personal information online, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit AI tools for extortion and defamation.