Faridabad: A 19-year-old student from Faridabad, Haryana, has died by suicide after being blackmailed with AI-generated obscene images, police said. A case has been registered against two suspects following a complaint from his family.

Rahul, a second-year student at DAV College from Baselwa Colony, reportedly had his mobile phone hacked. Perpetrators used artificial intelligence to generate fake nude photos and videos of Rahul and his sisters. They then sent the material via WhatsApp, demanding ₹20,000 and threatening to make it public.

The victim, Rahul Bharti, a second-year BCom student at DAV College, was allegedly harassed for several days by a person who used artificial intelligence (AI) to create obscene photos and videos of him and his three sisters.

According to Rahul’s father, Manoj Bharti, his son had become unusually quiet and withdrawn in the two weeks before his death. “He was not eating properly and mostly stayed silent in his room,” he said.

Police said Rahul had been in contact with a man identified as Sahil, who allegedly sent the doctored visuals and demanded ₹20,000, threatening to circulate them on social media if the money was not paid. The family’s complaint also mentioned that Sahil had made repeated threats during their last conversation. The accused also reportedly encouraged Rahul to end his life and described substances that could cause death.

(Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Those struggling with mental health issues are urged to seek help from professionals. The ‘Disha’ helpline offers free counselling and support services. You can call them at 1056 or 0471-2552056.)