Tripura youth racial abuse: Shokeen in 5-day police custody to identify others in video
Victim earlier said he "forgave" content creator Amir Shokeen, but police press ahead with probe into racial abuse case that sparked outrage
A Delhi court on Saturday (October 24) sent content creator Amir Shokeen to five days’ police custody in connection with the alleged racial abuse of a 19-year-old youth from Tripura, in a video that triggered nationwide outrage.
According to news agency PTI, Additional Sessions Judge Shilpi Jain granted the remand after Shokeen’s one-day judicial custody, ordered on Friday, came to an end.
Delhi Police told the court that Shokeen needs to be taken to Ahmedabad to identify and help secure the arrest of other individuals allegedly involved in the incident. According to police, the video was shot in Ahmedabad around a month ago, and the roles of seven to eight people are currently under investigation.
The case is being probed by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police, after a communication from the Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER). Police took suo motu cognisance of the viral clip and arrested Shokeen on Thursday.
How the row unfolded
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced showing Shokeen purportedly making derogatory and humiliating remarks about the Tripura youth, who works as housekeeping staff at a restaurant in Ahmedabad. The teenager, who earns Rs 10,000 a month and is the sole breadwinner for his family of four, told PTI he had not realised he was being filmed and was upset when the clip went viral. He said he studied at St Paul’s School in Agartala until Class 9 before quitting to support his family.
The young man said on Thursday that he had pardoned Shokeen after the content creator tendered an unconditional apology, adding that he did not want Shokeen arrested or to be drawn into legal complications, fearing future trouble if the matter escalated.
However, police proceeded with action following political and public pressure. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had said on X that Shokeen would face strict consequences, while Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha directed the state’s director general of police to coordinate with Delhi Police. Tipra Motha Party founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma had also urged authorities to bring Shokeen to Tripura for a fair probe.
The Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD) had earlier written to Delhi Police seeking an impartial investigation and preservation of electronic evidence, including the original recording, metadata, account details and upload history.
(With agency inputs)