Haryana student dies by suicide after AI-generated obscene images of sisters used for blackmail

A 19-year-old college student in Faridabad has died by suicide after being allegedly blackmailed with artificially generated obscene images and videos of his three sisters, in a case police are calling a serious example of AI-facilitated cybercrime.

According to an NDTV report, Rahul Bharti, a second-year student at DAV College, succumbed in hospital on Saturday after consuming poison. His father, Manoj Bharti, stated that his son had been deeply distressed for the preceding two weeks after an unknown individual hacked his phone.

The perpetrator used artificial intelligence to create nude photographs and videos of Rahul and his sisters, which were then used to extort money. "Someone had sent obscene videos and photos of my daughters to Rahul's phone and was threatening to make them viral. This distressed Rahul. Due to the mental torture, he consumed poison. He was being harassed," the victim's father was cited as saying by NDTV.

Police investigations have since uncovered chilling WhatsApp conversations between Rahul and a person identified only as 'Sahil'. Screenshots of the chats show 'Sahil' sending the fabricated obscene visuals and demanding Rs 20,000. The exchanges included numerous audio and video calls, with the blackmailer even sending a location pin with the message "aja mere paas" (come to me).

The harassment escalated critically in their final interaction. 'Sahil' reportedly threatened to release all the photos and videos on social media if the payment was not made. Disturbingly, the blackmailer is also alleged to have incited the teenager to die by suicide and suggested specific substances that could cause his death.

Acting on this threat, a deeply troubled Rahul consumed a quantity of tablets around 7 pm on Saturday. As his condition rapidly deteriorated, his family rushed him to a private hospital, where he died during treatment.

The family’s complaint has led police to file a case against two individuals. Rahul's mother, Meena Devi, has accused her brother-in-law, Neeraj Bharti, of involvement in the incident, citing a family dispute from about six months ago. She claimed that Neeraj, along with an unidentified woman, "hatched the plan." Police confirmed that Neeraj had spoken to the victim hours before his suicide.

According to Investigating Officer Sunil Kumar, the student was admitted to a private hospital after consuming poison but died during treatment. The officer reportedly confirmed that the investigation, initiated on the father's complaint, is ongoing, with the mobile phone being examined and appropriate legal action will follow the findings.

Commenting on the nature of the crime, Old Police Station in-charge Vishnu Kumar described it as a "serious example of cybercrime and the misuse of AI technology."