New Delhi: Social media influencer Amir Shokeen was arrested by Delhi Police on Thursday, hours after a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against him in connection with an alleged incident of racial harassment and humiliation of an individual from Tripura, depicted in a video circulating on social media, officials said.
The case was registered at the Sadar Bazar police station under Sections 192, 196, 352, and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Earlier, Shokeen apologised after the offensive video surfaced on social media and earned him major backlash.
In a Facebook post, Shokeen claimed that the video was scripted and that the man featured in it was known to him. He said the man had previously worked at a friend’s cafe in Ahmedabad and described the exchange as a humorous video in which both people were joking.
He maintained that he had no intention of insulting anyone.
This is not the first time that an FIR has been filed against Amir Shokeen. Previously, cases under Sections 323, 324, 504, and 506 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) have been registered against the influencer, officials said.
Earlier, the Tripura Police had also lodged a case against the influencer under relevant legal provisions, in connection with the row.
The Delhi Police lodged the case against Shokeen after the Tripura Students Forum Delhi submitted a formal complaint to the police, seeking registration of an FIR and an urgent investigation into the case.
The development came after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the issue on social media.
In its complaint, the Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSF’D) sought the police’s urgent intervention, expressing concern over the alleged treatment of the individual by a social media content creator.
“On behalf of the Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSF’D), we submit this formal complaint seeking your urgent intervention into a disturbing video circulating on Instagram that allegedly depicts an individual from Tripura being subjected to sexual assault, harassment and humiliating treatment by a social media content creator,” the complaint stated.
It added that, if established through an investigation, the allegations would raise serious concerns regarding the individual’s dignity, bodily autonomy and safety, as well as the protection of people from the Northeast against racial discrimination and harassment.
(IANS)
