Agra: History-sheeter Manoj Agarwal's photos with PM Modi and Amit Shah go viral; later claims account was hacked and photos were AI-generated; Cyber Cell begins investigation
Photos of Manoj Agarwal, a history-sheeter from Agra's Kamla Nagar police station, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other leaders on his Facebook profile went viral on social media on Monday. People raised suspicions about the photos being fake, after which Manoj apologized and claimed that his […]
What happened
In the photos seen on Manoj Agarwal's Facebook profile, he was visible with Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Jaiveer Singh, and the BJP state president, among several other leaders. As soon as the photos went viral, people started commenting on social media. Many users alleged that the history-sheeter had created and posted fake photos. Posts regarding this were also made on X (formerly Twitter).
Manoj Agarwal's clarification
As criticism mounted, an apology and clarification were posted on behalf of Manoj. It stated that someone had hacked his Facebook account and he was unaware of it. According to Manoj, the hacker posted AI-generated fake photos. He says that upon learning about it, he immediately regained access to the account, removed all photos and posts, and also apologized for it.
This is Manoj Agarwal's claim. Whether the account was actually hacked or not, and who created or uploaded the photos and how, has not been independently verified yet.
Police action
Upon the matter coming to light, the Kamla Nagar police station became active. DCP City Syed Ali Abbas stated that the matter is being investigated by the Cyber Cell. According to the police, 9 cases are registered against Manoj Agarwal.
Name has been in the news before
In August 2024, Manoj Agarwal also made headlines when he arrived as a guest at a religious event held at the Agra District Jail. At that time, after photos went viral on social media, jail officials had said they were unaware of him being a history-sheeter. Reports from that time also mentioned that some of his photos with local public representatives and police officers were shared on his social media account. Being seen with someone in a photo does not mean it is proof of any association with them.
What next
The Cyber Cell investigation will look into how and who uploaded the photos from the account, whether the account was hacked, and whether the photos are real or created using AI or editing. Until the investigation is complete, Manoj Agarwal's claim cannot be considered the final truth.
