A few days ago, the social media accounts of Sweden’s Uppsala University professor Ashok Swain were hacked. A hacking group named Crypto DAwg hacked his Twitter and Instagram accounts, posted several messages. Later the group changed the name and display picture of the account. After that, the accounts were deactivated, and have not been restored till now.
Initially, it was speculated by some social media users that Askhok Swain’s social media accounts were hacked by Pakistani hackers because while allegedly he was working for ISI, he recently switched sides and started supporting Imran Khan. It was claimed that an ISI hacking group was behind it. However, the hackers proved it wrong and indicated that it was a pro-India, pro-Israel group.
The hacker posted several messages justifying the Indian govt cancelling Ashok Swain’s OCI card, criticising radical Muslims, supporting Israel, and many other subjects with views contrary to the known stand of the professor.
However, the most controversial content published by Crypto DAwg is direct messages of Ashok Swain with a woman working under him. The messages exchanged on Instagram reveal that the professor probably had a romantic relationship with the young woman, and his family is aware of it.
Ashok Swain and the Research Assistant at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, headed by Swain, had very regular chats through direct messages on Instagram, the leaked chats show. The hacker published their chats from 10th February to 26th February, and it shows that they talked about almost everything, professional, political and personal topics.
The conversations ranged from serious discussions on politics to using AI to create content to casual chit-chats. For example, on 12 February, he said that he deleted a tweet on some demonstration because he was being heavily trolled, and the woman said it was a wise decision. He also said that Indian media had gone crazy over Indian govt’s comment on cancelling his OCI card.
On the same day, Ashok Swain told the woman that Rektor (vice chancellor) of the university has got a number of complaints against him. In another chat later, he said that while he is generally criticised in India or Ethiopia, he is now also criticised in Sweden now, and this has become an issue.
He was visiting Dubai during this time, and he sent updates on his visit along with photographs to her regularly. On 14th February, Ashok Swain sent a Valentine’s Day message to the woman, wishing her love, happiness and fulfilment in her life.
The professor and the woman discussed a lot on the topic of the hosts of his event in Dubai not releasing the video of the event. He also said that the Gulf News editor told him that the newspaper faces problems with the Indian Embassy and business houses for his writings. Ashok Swain claimed that the Editor in Chief apologised to him for ‘restricting his writings’, adding that he understood the editor’s position.
The chats also reveal that Uppsala University and the department get a lot of angry letters from pro-Israel people in Sweden for Ashok Swain’s views. Talking about the BAPS temple inaugurated by PM Modi in Abu Dhabi, the professor said that it is just business, not secularism. The woman replied by saying that while she read reports on the Indian PM inaugurating the Hindu temple, the reports didn’t say ‘how hypocritical it is’.
Before arriving in Sweden from the Middle East, Ashok Swain messaged the woman on 17 February saying that he would come to the university on 19th if she was there. He also advised her to take the bus instead of biking, because the ‘break’ does not work.
After boarding the flight back to Sweden on 19 February, Ashok Swain sent a message urging the woman to be completely mask-free while interacting with him. He said, “There is no doubt in my mind that I have never liked a person as much as I like you,” indicating the romantic nature of the relationship between the two. He added, “You will always remain the same person for me”.
After a few days, he sent her an AI-generated poem in appreciation of her. He often messages her that he is free after a meeting, and can meet her.
Amid conversations on weather, travel, photos, his OCI card status and others, Ashok Swain asked the woman to use his credit card for a booking. While she refused, he insisted. He sent her a copy of the card along with the CVV code, saying that he really wants her to use it.
After some talks about problems in their personal lives and determination to ‘fight it out together’, the woman told him that his son wrote to her, and she would have to end the conversation. To this, Ashok Swain replied, “I am really sorry. I am ashamed that I raised a kid like him giving up all my life.”
He then told her that he sent a stern message to his son over the issue. He wrote, “I am dead for you from now on. I had not raised a son giving my whole life to be like this. This is what I have messaged him after the mail.”
From the conversation, it can be guessed that Ashok Swain’s son was not happy with the woman, probably because of her relationship with his father, and therefore he wrote to her.
The hackers also announced that many of the leaked messages were deleted, but they managed to recover a lot from them.
Around the time the accounts were hacked, messages ‘expressing regret’ for his behaviour appeared on his social media accounts. One tweet read, “I have done some self reflection. I abandoned my family emotionally for another person. Wasted my entire life. Hurt my family. I am nothing anymore.”
A similar message was posted on Instagram, which said, ” I have disrespected my family. I have disappointed my son, my daughter, and my wife. I am not what you all think I am.” It is not sure whether the messages were posted by the hacker, or Ashok Swain posted them before the accounts were hacked.
OpIndia wrote to Ashok Swain to confirm whether the leaked DMs are genuine, and asking for his comments on the issue. While he responded to the email, he didn’t comment on the content of the messages. However, he said that not just Twitter and Instagram, but his Google and Amazon accounts, and his computer and phone were also hacked. Notably, he didn’t deny the authenticity of the leaked DMs.
He wrote, “My computer, telephone, google, Amazon accounts and social media accounts have been hacked since 27 February 2024.”
His Twitter account remains hacked, and his Instagram account remains deactivated after it was hacked. He has reportedly filed a complaint with the police over the hacking of his devices and accounts.
As per sources, the woman left the university after the chats were leaked. Her Instagram and LinkedIn profiles are also no longer accessible. While the nationality of the woman is not known, during the chats with Ashok Swain she said that her grandfather owns the rights of a waterbody in Sweden.