New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS): Delhi Police have apprehended the mastermind responsible for distributing morphed and offensive images of Hindu deities using impersonated email accounts, an officer said on Friday.

The officer said that the arrest is a crucial milestone in the ongoing battle against cybercrime and the prevention of attempts to sow discord and hatred among communities, which threaten to disrupt peace and harmony in society.

The accused was identified as Adarsh Saini, a resident of Haridwar, Uttrakhand.

According to police, on October 29, the Delhi Commission for Women forwarded a complaint by one Apurva Verma regarding the online circulation of offensive images of Hindu goddesses, which are deeply disturbing.

During the investigation, it was initially found that the sender of the offensive content identified as Rahul Kumar was presenting himself as such, sharing his bank account details to receive payments from those interested in purchasing offensive material.

“Rahul Kumar, the suspect, was traced to Darbhanga, Bihar, and extensively examined. However, his involvement in the present case was ruled out, and it became evident that someone had been using his name and personal information to tarnish his reputation and falsely implicate him by circulating offensive images in his name,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Hemant Kumar.

“The technical team tirelessly worked to identify the culprit responsible for sending offensive messages through impersonated email accounts,” said the DCP.

The criminal employed sophisticated techniques to obscure his identity, operating under various impersonated email accounts to carry out malicious activities.

“After a meticulous investigation that included digital forensics and collaboration with prominent technology companies, our dedicated team successfully tracked down the individual responsible for this reprehensible campaign. The accused, identified as Adarsh, was arrested in connection with the case,” said the DCP.

During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused had recently completed his BBA from IMS Unison University, Dehradun, and had ventured into online gaming on various platforms.

“He had established gaming websites and provided gaming IDs to customers, earning income in return. He further explained that a gaming website created by an individual named Rahul Kumar closely resembled his own website, leading to a significant decline in his business,” said the DCP.

In seeking revenge, he plotted to frame Rahul Kumar in a false case, gathering all of Rahul Kumar's personal details and circulating offensive content online using his information.

“A laptop and two mobile phones containing all the incriminating images and content were recovered from the arrested accused. Additionally, a Wi-Fi router used for online criminal activities was retrieved from his residence,” said the DCP.

It is worth noting that, after circulating offensive content online in Rahul Kumar's name, the accused himself, using the pseudonym Apurva Verma, filed various complaints with law enforcement authorities and the Delhi Women Commission, relentlessly pursuing legal action against Rahul Kumar.