Telangana CM's counsel calls Delhi Police notice in doctored video case "Preconceived and incorrect"

New Delhi [India], May 1 : The counsel for Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has requested additional time to appear before Delhi Police in connection with the ongoing investigation into the 'deepfake video' case involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday.
In a letter to Inspector Neeraj Chaudhary of the IFSO, Special Cell New Delhi advocate Kumar Vaibhav clarified that his client, Anumula Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister of Telangana and President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, does not manage or operate the Twitter/X handle "@INCTelangana," where the alleged doctored video was tweeted or retweeted.
"The undersigned is writing on behalf of his client Sh. Anumula Revanth Reddy, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Telangana and President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee. My client is in receipt of the captioned Notice wherein reference to a certain alleged doctored video has been made and information and production of gadget in relation to an alleged video tweeted/ retweeted by twitter handle of INC Telangana," the letter reads.
The letter noted that the attribution linking the Telangana CM to the video appears to be "preconceived and incorrect."
The letter further read, "My client does not operate the Twitter/X Handle "@INCTelangana" and as such is unable to provide the information sought for by you. Your attribution that "video tweeted/ retweeted by you on your X/ Twitter handle" is pre-conceived and incorrect. It is categorically stated that my client has nothing to do with the creating, uploading of tweeting/ retweeting of the alleged video."
"My client's twitter handle is @revanth anumula and no tweet or retweet of the alleged video has been made from his handle. Further, the official twitter handle of the Chief Minister of Telangana on X is @TelanganaCMO," the letter said.
The letter further explained that due to these factors, the Delhi Police's remarks that the video was associated with the Telangana CM's Twitter handle lacks a factual basis.
"It is stated that in view of the above facts, your Notice appears to be misdirected and based on incorrect information and you are thus requested to withdraw the captioned Notice immediately," the letter read.
Earlier in the day the legal counsels of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and four other leaders, sought more time for appearance in the same case as mentioned above, via email. The counsels expressed the inability of their clients to comply with the Delhi Police summons in connection with the ongoing probe into the 'doctored' video.
Delhi Police had issued a summons to the Telangana CM and others as part of the ongoing inquiry into the circulation of an alleged fake video in which the Union Home Minister is purportedly heard saying that the BJP stands against reservations.
The BJP had flagged the viral clip as fake and accused several Congress leaders in the South state of circulating it.
The notice served by the Delhi Police asked CM Reddy and four others to appear at 10.30 am on May 1, along with their mobile handsets and laptops for forensic examination.
Summoning the Telangana CM and the others earlier in connection with the 'fake' video case, the police said it is to be seen who joins the investigation in person and who sends their responses via email on May 1. Based on their submissions or responses, the probe will be taken forward, the officers informed.
Earlier, the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police issued summons to 16 individuals across 7 to 8 states in connection with the case.
The summons were issued under Sections 91 and 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), asking the persons concerned to join the investigation and provide relevant documents and electronic devices as evidence.
CrPC Section 160 allows police to summon a person for investigation, while Section 91 allows police to seek specific documents or gadgets to be presented as evidence.
Earlier, Assam Police on Monday arrested Reetom Singh in connection with the 'doctored' video case, sources said. It is alleged that the video clip was shared by several Congress leaders.