Modi picture features in Google's 'Top 10 Criminals'

E-Paper | June 15, 2026

comments

Join our Whatsapp Channel

Add Dawn as a trusted source

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's picture featured in "Top 10 Criminals" in the Google search engine.

The image has been featured among the likes of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Al Capone, Joseph Kony and Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The search results appear with the following disclaimer from Google, "These results don’t reflect Google’s opinion or our beliefs; our algorithms automatically matched the query to web pages with these images."

Indian media reports quoted a Google spokesperson as saying: “These results trouble us and are not reflective of the opinions of Google. Sometimes, the way images are described on the internet can yield surprising results to specific queries.”

Google said that results to the query "top 10 criminals in India" was due to a British daily which had an image of Modi and erroneous metadata.

It said that in this case, the image search results were drawn from multiple news articles with images of Modi, covering the prime minister's statements with regard to politicians with criminal backgrounds, but added that the news articles do not link Modi to criminal activity, and the words just appeared in close proximity to each other.

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

World

A year after deadly Air India crash, families await answers

Bangladesh, India to coordinate patrols on border, share intelligence amid migrant tensions

Folding clothes, making coffee and sandwich — Indian workers training AI robots to take their jobs

Indian

Jun 04, 2015 12:45pm

Algorithmic problems.................

Recommend 0

Jun 04, 2015 12:50pm

@Indian or Reality check

Recommend 0

Saeedurrahman

Jun 04, 2015 12:53pm

It reflects reality ,keeping his past in mind.

Recommend 0

TOTA RAM VERMA

Jun 04, 2015 12:55pm

@Indian Lets ask Google to hire some Indian to fix their Algorithm problem . May be this piece of code is written by someone who just hates Modi for whatever reasons.

Recommend 0

kamran

Jun 04, 2015 12:59pm

So whats is wrong in it if a criminal is named criminal by google?

Recommend 0

jason

Jun 04, 2015 01:11pm

Who cares? He is taking India forward. Sometimes, for the good of millions a few will have to be ignored. Fact of life.

Recommend 0

Viking Star

Jun 04, 2015 01:22pm

Well for most Indians, he may not be a criminal, but Modi does have criminal record acknowledged worldwide.

Recommend 0

Ahmed31

Jun 04, 2015 01:45pm

and right next to Al Capone too!

Recommend 0

Realist

Jun 04, 2015 02:04pm

google is nothing but an e platform for gossip and rumours .If google data and views are authentic why not elect prime ministers based on what google data says. These kinds of things are placed delibrately to increase the numberbof clicks many people must have in fact search google after reading this article.

Recommend 0

Kashmiri34

Jun 04, 2015 02:05pm

Google already apologize on it...

Recommend 0

Viking Star

Jun 04, 2015 02:46pm

@Kashmiri34 Google NEVER apologized, it rather explained the reason why Modi's pic showed up - based on news and stories from around the world, with special reference to UK print medua.

Recommend 0

Sunil

Jun 04, 2015 03:12pm

Modi is better off then Tikka Khan.

Recommend 0

miristan

Jun 04, 2015 03:22pm

India is proud of him

Recommend 0

Syed Waqar

Jun 04, 2015 03:25pm

there is nothing wrong in the algorithm. He was and he is still ban to enter in lots of countries due to his past criminal/terrorist activities. leader of sham democracy.

Recommend 0

fida USA

Jun 04, 2015 03:28pm

Google has just confirmed the fact that Modi is truly a criminal. Is he not responsible for the killing of 2,000 Muslims of Gujarat in riots orchestrated by his gang of criminal.

Recommend 0

Raza

Jun 04, 2015 03:29pm

Modi at its best!! Keep it up

Recommend 0

Raza

Jun 04, 2015 03:35pm

There is nothing wrong with algorithm, Indians should accept this reality due to his past history

Recommend 0

M. Jan

Jun 04, 2015 03:35pm

That's where he belongs - on the list of top ten criminals..

Recommend 0

Bunty

Jun 04, 2015 03:36pm

@Syed Waqar - India is not a Sham democracy. It is a true real democracy. But unfortunately our country has presently a PM with criminal background.

Recommend 0

Talha

Jun 04, 2015 03:42pm

@Indian Algorithmic reality.....

Recommend 0

Ridwan

Jun 04, 2015 03:46pm

Google Search is far wiser than I ever suspected...

Recommend 0

leon

Jun 04, 2015 03:58pm

@Syed Waqar and the countries which still bans him are?

Recommend 0

Taimoor Khan

Jun 04, 2015 04:11pm

How true.

Recommend 0

SHENZY, DUBLIN

Jun 04, 2015 04:18pm

Searching for top 10 world leaders in Google also returñs Modiji..

Recommend 0

AKhan

Jun 04, 2015 05:08pm

After his term as PM, Modi will be promoted to No.1 in this list

Recommend 0

Dipak Singh

Jun 04, 2015 05:14pm

you just can't ignore him.. he is all over. amazing.. Top 10 Leader, Top 10 Criminal (by Mistake), Top 10 searched politician etc etc.

Recommend 0

Last Word

Jun 04, 2015 05:17pm

Ask any top leader of the world about Modi after his visits to various countries. John Kerry hailed Modi as a 'visionary' poised to take India to the next level. He was placed number two behind Chinese President in the list of 30 top performing world leaders by a Japanese survey.

Recommend 0

a khan

Jun 04, 2015 05:20pm

Very apt. Just because Indians don't want to admit it doesn't mean he is not guilty of fomenting ethnic divisions leading to killings.

Recommend 0

Saira Khan

Jun 04, 2015 05:24pm

@SHENZY, DUBLIN So it means he is a leader of criminals then. Modi baba and 40 states

Recommend 0

Koshur

Jun 04, 2015 05:25pm

@Indian Algorithms run without politics and do not get intimidated ! The result of algorithm is very clear and crystal. Thanks to the mathematics and technology.

Recommend 0

Kabeela Khan

Jun 04, 2015 05:28pm

@Last Word he is also amongst top 10 criminals in the world!

Recommend 0

Koshur

Jun 04, 2015 05:31pm

@Bunty hahhahahaha ! A democracy which has made kashmir into cage, denying the right to self determination given by UN.

Recommend 0

a Ali

Jun 04, 2015 05:33pm

gooooooooooooooooogle, why sorry......... what goes round comes back round. remember he masterminded killings of 1000 muslims in gujrat. nevertheless, his name is etched in 'top 10 criminals' yet they call it a democratic country. shame.

Recommend 0

Kashmiri

Jun 04, 2015 05:36pm

say something new...

Recommend 0

Aurangzeb

Jun 04, 2015 05:45pm

I'm not surprise, ask who lost families in Gujarat riots !

Recommend 0

Einstein Babar

Jun 04, 2015 05:46pm

google should not remove it, I guess if they remove very soon google will feel to put it again there.

Recommend 0

Najeeb

Jun 04, 2015 05:54pm

Oh incredible India

Recommend 0

Manoj Sharma

Jun 04, 2015 05:57pm

Our PM is best.

Recommend 0

M. Siddique

Jun 04, 2015 06:02pm

Indians, come on face the facts and we all know Modi was complicit in the Gujrat massacre. He should be aware that google follows the principle of free speech with truth. Before India insist on Pakistan to try Bombay incident suspects, it should try Modi first. Then the culprits of Samjhota train massacre. Bombay was on third number.

Recommend 0

Sunil

Jun 04, 2015 06:20pm

Latest new, Google has apologized and has removed, stating error.

Recommend 0

Sarwat

Jun 04, 2015 06:30pm

That's how the truth is swept under the carpet. Reality bites doesn't it.

Recommend 0

iztraab

Jun 04, 2015 06:38pm

Technology does not lie.

Recommend 0

Kazim Reza

Jun 04, 2015 07:14pm

What an ideal choice !

Recommend 0

IZhar

Jun 04, 2015 07:39pm

Google is getting smarter and wiser day by day !

Recommend 0

Qamar

Jun 04, 2015 07:46pm

Modi, the only head of government on the 10 Top Criminal List.

Recommend 0

Sandip Bhattacharya

Jun 04, 2015 07:49pm

@Viking Star Even Bill Gates?

Recommend 0

Humans

Jun 04, 2015 08:14pm

Who can disagree?

Recommend 0

Black Sabbath

Jun 04, 2015 08:21pm

Google as apologized to the Indian govt & Modi, multiple times for this error.

Recommend 0

glassyman

Jun 04, 2015 08:24pm

@Saira Khan in some of these states your artists come earn then return.... and some dont

Recommend 0

Another Indian

Jun 04, 2015 08:35pm

@Viking Star .. Yes - thats why world leaders are globe trotting to New Delhi.

Recommend 0

Figs

Jun 04, 2015 08:35pm

@jason Now you are speaking the truth and admitting what is he in fact. Well done.

Recommend 0

Asad

Jun 04, 2015 08:56pm

@Sunil Really? I just Googled it and it is showing it.

Recommend 0

Saif

Jun 04, 2015 08:57pm

Because of his criminal past he was not allowed to visit the west, specially the USA for many years...isn't that a fact

Recommend 0

Saeed

Jun 04, 2015 09:06pm

@Koshur Kashmir enjoys more freedom than Pakistan we know what's going on in Fata

Recommend 0

daddy

Jun 04, 2015 10:15pm

India haters keep on hating, so that u can have good sleep, modi has taken india to mars and u people r stil trying to infiltrate kashmir, keep it up. World knows the best quite evident from the kind reception he is getting worldwide ...lol

Recommend 0

INDies

Jun 04, 2015 10:30pm

@Syed Waqar : yes in pakistan. He is elected prime minister of India and representing 125 crores. One day, after him somebody else is representing INDIA. We believe PM did good job, upon failing they are sitting in the opposition. India learned means and maintaining legacy.

Recommend 0

citizen

Jun 04, 2015 10:46pm

But how come faces that killed millions of bangaladesis during their liberation missed in the list?

Recommend 0

Areeb

Jun 05, 2015 12:44am

Algorithms don't lie! Besides, if there is a problem with the algorithm why does it name the other Top 9 criminals accurately? Google is sorry because it caters to the large Indian market. Maybe their next algorithm would be like (If Top 10 criminals = "Person that generates Revenue for Google", "Hide! Hide! Hide!", Otherwise "Show")

Recommend 0

SALMAN

Jun 05, 2015 12:44am

@Last Word american leaders also praised Bin Laden in the 80's and supported Saddam Hussain in the 90's , so please find another excuse

Recommend 0

Pakistan

Jun 05, 2015 04:17am

Our leaders cant even make in that list...

Recommend 0

Mast_Kalandar

Jun 05, 2015 05:21am

Yes it is so true.

Recommend 0

Maddy

Jun 05, 2015 05:38am

lol. I can't feel sorry enough for the comments trying to put Modi down. He has gone through worse scrutinies in the past 10-12 years but he always came on top.

Recommend 0

Sudhanshu Swami

Jun 05, 2015 09:25am

Google said sorry for that, unconditionally. Some media people are spreading as Top 10 criminal list, while it is merely search results. It is neither a list nor google's Top 10 criminals

Recommend 0

Areeb

Jun 05, 2015 09:47am

Reality bytes. :)

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Why SQD-Mini LED is the display breakthrough we’ve been waiting for?

The display industry is entering a new phase, where reducing trade-offs is as important as pushing performance limits.

The Palms at Silk Gardens introduces a new family address in Karachi

The Palms places families at the heart of its vision, offering thoughtfully planned 2 and 3-bedroom units in a secure, peaceful and community-led environment.