Delhi Police arrest influencer Amir Shokeen in Tripura racial harassment case

Social media influencer Amir Shokeen has been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with an alleged racial harassment and public humiliation case involving a youth from Tripura, police said on October 22.

According to Delhi Police, a case was registered against Shokeen under Sections 192, 196, 352 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The provisions relate to offences including provocation with intent to cause a riot, promoting enmity between groups, intentional insult and statements conducive to public mischief, police said.

Shokeen was arrested from Karol Bagh, where he was allegedly hiding at a relative’s house. Police said he was traced to Shahdara after changing locations and was apprehended late on Wednesday evening with the assistance of technical surveillance.

The arrest followed intervention by Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, who contacted senior Delhi Police officials and urged them to expedite the investigation.

Speaking to ANI, Tripura Director General of Police Anurag said the chief minister had received information about the incident on Tuesday evening. Taking cognisance of a complaint, a case was registered and an FIR was sent to Delhi Police for investigation. The chief minister also personally coordinated with senior Delhi Police officials to ensure swift action, he said.

Previous cases against influencer

Police said Shokeen had previously been registered in cases under Sections 323, 324 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). These relate to allegations of voluntarily causing hurt, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and criminal intimidation, respectively.

Meanwhile, Tripura Police registered an FIR and formed a special team to coordinate with Delhi Police in the investigation.

Viral video triggers outrage

The case stems from a video circulating on Instagram that allegedly shows a person from Tripura being subjected to sexual assault, harassment and degrading treatment by a social media content creator. A Tripura-based individual identified the Instagram account as belonging to Shokeen, police said.

The incident triggered outrage in Tripura, with political leaders and organisations demanding action over the alleged treatment of people from the Northeast.

Congress leader Birajit Sinha criticised the government over the alleged racial targeting of students from the Northeast in Delhi and other parts of the country. He said such incidents were not new and urged the government to address the issue seriously.

The investigation is underway.