Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli has become a battleground, not just for land but for truth itself. The Telangana government’s clash with actress Dia Mirza and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee over alleged AI-generated misinformation has sparked a legal firestorm, with a 400-acre plot near the University of Hyderabad (UoH) at the center. It’s a messy mix of environmental activism, economic ambition, and the murky role of technology in shaping narratives.
The state, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, wants to transform the land into an IT hub, a move they say is crucial for economic growth. But UoH students and activists, backed by Mirza, argue it’s an ecological treasure that must be preserved, claiming the land belongs to the university. The government counters that it’s state property, legally theirs to develop. Tensions boiled over when Reddy accused Mirza and Rathee of using AI-crafted visuals—like videos of distressed wildlife—to fuel protests and sabotage the project. On April 8, 2025, X user Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) highlighted the brewing legal storm, tweeting: “The Telangana government may take legal action against Dia Mirza and Dhruv Rathee for allegedly sharing AI-generated content on the Gachibowli deforestation row. The state has moved the High Court over the issue.”
Reddy’s accusations came to a head on April 5, when he ordered officials to crack down on what he called a deliberate misinformation campaign. By April 7, the government had filed a petition in the Telangana High Court, seeking action against those spreading such content, as reported by India Today. The Supreme Court also intervened, halting activities in the area over environmental concerns. The state pointed to fabricated media—like audio of crying peacocks and deer fleeing bulldozers—as evidence of foul play, claiming it exaggerates environmental damage to mislead the public. A 2023 Nature Communications study underscores the challenge, noting that 60% of social media users struggle to identify AI-generated content, amplifying false narratives in disputes like this.
Dia Mirza pushed back hard. On April 6, she took to X, declaring, “The CM’s claims are absolutely false. I haven’t posted a single AI-generated image or video.” She insisted her posts were about supporting UoH students fighting to save biodiversity, not spreading lies. “This isn’t development—it’s destruction,” she wrote, rallying her followers. Her supporters on X echoed her, with one user posting, “Dia’s speaking truth to power! Protect Kancha’s forests!” Dhruv Rathee, whose viral video on the area’s environmental toll drew massive attention, has stayed silent on the allegations, letting his work speak.
The government’s framing this as a broader war on AI-driven falsehoods. Reddy, in a fiery meeting, called misinformation a “pandemic worse than coronavirus,” pushing to bolster the state’s cybercrime unit. But activists argue the state’s dodging the real issue: deforestation. Satellite images online show forest loss, though officials dismiss them as doctored. The courts now hold the reins, with both the High Court and Supreme Court digging into the truth.
This saga is a wake-up call. In an age where AI blurs fact and fiction, disputes like Kancha Gachibowli’s show how tech can amplify both activism and misinformation. For locals, it’s deeply personal. “This land is our heritage,” a UoH student told me at a protest. “No IT park is worth losing it.” As legal battles unfold, one question looms: who gets to define reality?
