A Delhi-based content creator has been arrested for allegedly subjecting a youth from Tripura to racial abuse and humiliation in a video that has sparked widespread condemnation, police said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Amir Shokeen, was arrested after Delhi Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the purported video. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is probing the alleged racial abuse.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Niharika Bhatt told PTI that Shokeen was a resident of the Sadar Bazar area and had previously been involved in multiple cases of brawling.
The Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER) had written to the IFSO unit, seeking an investigation into the video. Police personnel subsequently visited Shokeen’s residence but found that he was not present there, a senior officer said.
The incident has drawn criticism from leaders across party lines, including Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who have called for action against those involved.
Rijiju said on X that the accused would face action, adding that the Delhi and Tripura police would take up the matter.
“This evil man will be punished. There was a delay in lodging the official complaint, but Delhi Police and Tripura Police will teach him a hard lesson,” the minister said.
Police sources said a Tripura Police team was expected to arrive in Delhi later on Thursday and visit Sadar Bazar police station to take custody of Shokeen. He would then be produced before a Delhi court for transit remand, they said.
According to police sources, the controversial video was allegedly recorded in Ahmedabad around a month ago. Seven to eight people are suspected to have been involved in the case, and their individual roles will be investigated, the sources said.
The Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD), in a complaint submitted on Wednesday to the Joint Commissioner of Police (SPUNER), sought an urgent and impartial investigation. It alleged that the video showed a person from Tripura being subjected to sexual assault, harassment and humiliating treatment by a social media content creator.
The complaint identified Shokeen’s Instagram account as allegedly linked to the incident and sought verification of the identity and role of the person operating it, as well as others who may have participated in or recorded the incident.
The forum alleged that the video contained racially derogatory expressions directed at the individual and a demeaning reference to Tripura, causing anguish among members of the state’s community.
It urged police to preserve electronic evidence, including the original recording, metadata, account details and upload history, and take steps to prevent further harassment or intimidation of the person concerned. The forum also sought registration of an FIR wherever warranted by the facts and applicable legal provisions.
Saha has directed the state’s director general of police to coordinate with Delhi Police over the matter.