Viral Mumbai Protest Face, Riya Ahir, Files Cyber Complaint Over Deepfakes and Abuse
Her stance quickly emerged as a defining visual symbol of the local demonstrations.
Model Riya Ahir has submitted an official complaint to cyber authorities alleging systematic online harassment and malicious deepfakes following her viral appearance at recent student demonstrations demanding accountability over the NEET paper leak controversy. The twenty-seven-year-old actor became widely recognized after stepping in front of a police vehicle at Dadar to oppose student detentions during rain-soaked protests.
Her stance quickly emerged as a defining visual symbol of the local demonstrations. However, Ahir stated in her police complaint that the widespread online exposure triggered an intense backlash characterized by abusive messages, digitally altered photographs, manipulated video content, and targeted misogynistic trolling across several social media platforms.
The complainant asserted that the harassment amounts to a coordinated campaign aimed at character assassination and criminal intimidation. To assist law enforcement, Ahir turned over digital documentation to the cyber division, including profile links, account handles, and relevant screenshots capturing explicit threats and derogatory commentary posted under various threads.
Ahir emphasized that while public scrutiny and disagreement are expected, deploying manipulated media and gendered abuse crosses permissible boundaries into illegal intimidation. She maintained that her original intervention at the protest site was an act of civil solidarity with affected students rather than a staged stunt.
Cyber police personnel confirmed receiving the dossier and noted that preliminary verification of the provided digital evidence is underway. Authorities confirmed that appropriate legal action will be initiated against identified social media accounts upon completing technical reviews.