Delhi Police file FIR against influencer over racial abuse video
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have registered a First Information Report against social media influencer Amir Shokeen in connection with a video that allegedly showed racial harassment and humiliation of a man from Tripura. The case was registered at the Sadar Bazar police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The action came after the Tripura Students Forum Delhi submitted a formal complaint seeking an investigation into the video, which had circulated widely on social media and sparked strong criticism. The Tripura Police had also registered a case earlier in connection with the incident.
According to officials, the FIR has been registered under Sections 192, 196, 352 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
In its complaint, the students’ forum alleged that the video contained racially derogatory remarks, including the terms “Chinki” and “Chinese”, directed at the individual. It said such language, used to demean a person based on perceived ethnic or regional identity, raised serious concerns over racial prejudice, dignity and equal treatment.
The forum also expressed concern over alleged derogatory references to Tripura in the video, saying these amounted to an insult not only to the person featured but also to the people of the state. It sought urgent police intervention, citing concerns over the individual’s dignity, bodily autonomy and safety, as well as the protection of people from the Northeast against racial discrimination.
The development followed Union Minister Kiren Rijiju raising the issue on social media.
Shokeen had earlier apologised after the video drew widespread backlash. In a Facebook post, he claimed that the video was scripted and that the man featured in it was known to him. He said the man had earlier worked at a friend’s café in Ahmedabad and described the exchange as a humorous video in which both were joking. He maintained that there was no intention to insult anyone.
Officials said this is not the first case against Shokeen. Earlier FIRs had been registered against him under Sections 323, 324, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.
(Inputs from IANS)