Barmer administration withdraws Republic Day honour after deepfake allegations

The Barmer district administration has withdrawn a Republic Day award conferred on Dinesh Manju after objections were raised over his alleged involvement in a deepfake video case targeting Bayana MLA Ritu Banawat.

Manju had been honoured at a district-level Republic Day समारोह on 26 January for his contribution to wildlife conservation. However, Banawat, an Independent legislator, publicly objected to the recognition, alleging that Manju was the main accused in the creation and circulation of a deepfake video of her on social media.

She said that although some of the accused in the case had been arrested, Manju remained absconding. “I complained to the Additional Director General of Crime. His accomplices were arrested, but the main accused is still at large. Honouring such a person reflects a serious failure of the system,” Banawat said.

Following the controversy, Barmer Collector Tina Dabi issued an order late on Thursday withdrawing the district-level honour and the certificate of appreciation awarded to Manju. She also directed that an enquiry be conducted into the role of officials responsible for recommending his name.

The award ceremony was held at Adarsh Stadium in Barmer in the presence of state minister K K Bishnoi, Collector Tina Dabi and Superintendent of Police Narendra Singh Meena. Manju was among 113 individuals recognised for notable contributions across various fields.

Speaking to reporters at the Rajasthan Assembly, Banawat said the incident raised troubling questions about the treatment of women in public life. Referring to the slogan “Empowered woman – our responsibility”, she said an elected woman representative had been subjected to harassment.

“This is not someone else’s story. It is mine,” she said, adding that the deepfake video had surfaced soon after her electoral victory and had no basis in reality.

Banawat said she had lodged an FIR, approached senior police officials and written to the Speaker of the Assembly. She questioned how a person accused in such a serious case could be recommended for a public honour and called for accountability within the administration.

With IANS inputs