The Cyber Cell of the Western Region Division has arrested a youth from Jalna for allegedly circulating an objectionable video related to the plane crash of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and making controversial statements against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on social media.
The accused has been identified as Uddhav Bhagwan Kapse. Following his arrest, he was brought to Mumbai for further investigation. A local court has remanded him to police custody till April 10. The objectionable video shared by him had garnered nearly 1.5 lakh followers before it was later deleted from social media platforms.
According to the police, the accused had spread misleading information about the plane crash through the video and attempted to defame the Chief Minister.
In January, a tragic plane crash involving Ajit Pawar reportedly led to the death of six people, including Pawar, when a private aircraft travelling from Mumbai to Baramati crashed during landing near the Baramati airstrip. The aircraft reportedly went down in a field, and several videos related to the crash went viral on social media, raising various suspicions.
Among these, one such video—now linked to the accused—contained objectionable remarks and targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The video quickly gained traction, attracting around 1.5 lakh followers within a few days.
Taking serious note of the viral content, senior officials directed the Cyber Cell to register a case and initiate an investigation. The video was subsequently removed, and a case was filed against an unknown person for uploading fake and objectionable content and spreading misinformation about the crash to defame public figures.
During the probe, officials traced the origin of the video to Jalna. Based on technical evidence, the Cyber Cell identified Uddhav Kapse as the person responsible. He was taken into custody late Monday night from Jalna.
Investigations revealed that Kapse is a resident of Buttegaon in Jalna and has studied up to Class 10. He lives with his parents, while his two sisters are married.
Police said that after the crash incident, Kapse collected various video clips aired by news channels and used AI tools to create an objectionable video. In the video, he allegedly made controversial claims and targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to creating and circulating the video on social media, following which he was formally arrested.
Kapse was produced before a court in Bandra on Tuesday afternoon, which granted three days of police custody. Authorities are now investigating whether he acted on someone’s instructions, his motive behind defaming Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, and whether he received any financial or external support for creating the video.
Further investigation in the case is ongoing.