Uttar Pradesh News: AI-Generated Leopard Images Spark Panic In Lucknow; 2 Detained

Lucknow: A wave of panic gripped residents of the city this week after images claiming to show a leopard roaming through Ruchi Khand, Ashiana, and Gomti Nagar went viral on WhatsApp groups and social media. Families rushed to keep children indoors and many avoided venturing out in the evening. The visuals, however, were later confirmed to be digitally manipulated creations circulated as a prank.

The scare was serious enough for some parents to keep children away from school. “The incident has raised concerns about the misuse of digital tools to spread fear and misinformation among the public. While no one was harmed, the false alarm disrupted the evening routine of many families,” said Anita Tiwari, a resident of Ruchi Khand.

District Forest Officer Sitanshu Pandey said technical analysis exposed clear signs of manipulation in the viral visuals. “Our team examined the material and found it to be digitally created. We deployed forest teams, reviewed CCTV footage, and found no physical evidence of a leopard in the area. The youth involved confessed to creating AI-generated images. We have filed a police complaint with the Aashiana police,” he stated.

Police acted quickly after residents reported the videos. Two young men were detained for spreading the images as part of a so-called prank. Abhay Pratap Mall, ACP Cantt, confirmed, “The youth has been picked up and we are investigating the matter. A formal complaint has been registered.”

Even after confirming that the scare was false, authorities continued their vigilance. “Forest department teams were still searching for the wild animal, said to be a leopard, which was purportedly seen in a video in the Cantt area two days ago. Three teams had been deployed. The animal has not been spotted in camera traps,” Pandey said.

Residents also confirmed the absence of any wild animal. Sanjay Joshi of Ruchi Khand, whose house appeared in one of the viral videos, said, “We checked our CCTV cameras after seeing the video but found nothing unusual. There was no leopard or any sign of a wild animal.”

In response to the panic, the divisional forest officer in Mohanlalganj was appointed as nodal officer to supervise monitoring operations. Teams from the urban and Sarojini Nagar ranges have been patrolling continuously and installed camera traps as a precaution.

The incident has once again highlighted the dangers of misinformation and digital manipulation. Officials urged the public not to spread unverified content. “Residents should remain calm and not panic over something that is not true,” Pandey advised.