Influencer Amir Shokeen Arrested Over Racial Harassment of Tripura Student
Delhi Police arrest social media influencer Amir Shokeen for alleged racial harassment and public humiliation of a student from Tripura.
In a significant crackdown on social media misconduct, the Delhi Police have arrested popular influencer Amir Shokeen. The arrest comes following allegations of racial harassment and the public humiliation of a student hailing from Tripura, an incident that has sparked outrage and prompted inter-state police coordination.
The Arrest Operation
The apprehension of Amir Shokeen was not a simple task, as the influencer reportedly attempted to evade capture. According to the Delhi Police, Shokeen's location was initially traced to Shahdara early in the morning. However, he continued to switch locations to avoid the authorities.
The pursuit ended in the evening when the Sadar Bazar Police, utilizing technical surveillance, tracked him down to Karol Bagh. Shokeen was allegedly hiding at a relative's residence when the police finally moved in and took him into custody.
Serious Charges and Legal Framework
The Delhi Police have registered a case against Shokeen under several stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 192: Provocation with the intent to cause a riot.
- Section 196: Promoting enmity between different groups.
- Section 352: Intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace.
- Section 353: Statements conducing to public mischief.
Investigation reveals that this is not the first time Shokeen has faced legal trouble. Police noted that previous cases had been registered against him under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), specifically Sections 323, 324, 504, and 506, which pertain to criminal intimidation, intentional insult, and voluntarily causing hurt, including the use of dangerous weapons.
The Disturbing Evidence
The controversy erupted after a video began circulating on Instagram. According to the formal complaint, the footage allegedly depicts a person from Tripura being subjected to degrading treatment, harassment, and sexual assault by a social media content creator. A student body from Tripura identified the Instagram account involved as @amirshokeen, linking the content directly to the influencer.
Inter-State Coordination and Political Fallout
The incident has triggered a swift response from the Tripura government. Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) GS Rao stated that the authorities took immediate cognisance of the video and registered an FIR. To ensure a thorough probe, a special team from the Tripura Police has been dispatched to Delhi to collaborate with local officials.
"This video came to our notice yesterday evening. Taking cognisance of it, a complaint was received, and an FIR has been registered. A team from Tripura Police is leaving for Delhi," DGP GS Rao told ANI, adding that he has personally coordinated with senior Delhi Police officers to speed up the process.
Political Criticism
The case has also ignited political tension. Congress leader Ripun Bora has slammed the government, claiming that students from Northeast India are frequently targets of racial discrimination in Delhi and other metropolitan areas.
Bora described the situation as a "failure of the government," asserting that despite the issue being raised multiple times in Parliament, the BJP-led administration has treated such incidents too casually. He emphasized that racial discrimination in a democratic country is unfortunate and that the government had been repeatedly cautioned about these systemic problems.