Delhi court remands Amir Shokeen in five-day police custody in Tripura youth racial abuse case

A Delhi court has remanded content creator Amir Shokeen to five days of police custody in connection with an alleged incident of racial abuse and humiliation involving a youth from Tripura, with investigators planning to take him to Ahmedabad to identify and apprehend other people suspected of involvement in the case.

Shokeen was arrested by Delhi Police on Thursday after the force took suo motu cognisance of a video that went viral on social media and allegedly showed the Tripura youth being subjected to racial remarks and humiliating treatment.

The case has brought renewed attention to concerns over alleged racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in other parts of the country. The Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is investigating the matter following a communication from the Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER), police sources said.

According to police sources, the video was allegedly recorded in Ahmedabad around a month ago. Investigators are examining the roles of seven to eight people in connection with the incident. Shokeen is to be taken to Ahmedabad as part of the investigation to help identify the other persons allegedly involved and facilitate further arrests.

The case has drawn strong reactions from political leaders in the Northeast and at the national level. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said action would be taken against those involved, while Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha directed the state's Director General of Police to coordinate with Delhi Police on the investigation.

The Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD) has also called for an impartial investigation. In a complaint to the Joint Commissioner of Police (SPUNER), the organisation alleged that the video showed a youth from Tripura being subjected to racial abuse and humiliation.

The forum urged the police to preserve all relevant electronic evidence, including the original video recording, metadata, account details and upload history, and take appropriate legal action against those found responsible.

Delhi Police is examining the circumstances surrounding the recording and circulation of the video, as well as the alleged involvement of the other individuals under investigation.

The case has placed the issue of alleged racial abuse against people from the Northeast in the national spotlight, with demands for accountability and a thorough investigation into the incident.