NEW DELHI, Oct 24: 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 other suspects.
Delhi Police arrested Shokeen on Thursday after taking suo motu cognisance of a video that went viral on social media and allegedly showed the youth being subjected to racial remarks and humiliating treatment.
Police sources said the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit was investigating the case following a communication from the Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER).
According to the 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 will be taken to Ahmedabad to help identify the other individuals allegedly involved and facilitate further arrests.
The case has drawn 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 sought an impartial investigation. In a complaint to the Joint Commissioner of Police (SPUNER), the organisation alleged that the video depicted 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 recording, metadata, account details and upload history, and take appropriate legal action against those found responsible.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the recording and circulation of the video, along with the alleged roles of the other individuals under scrutiny.
The case has renewed attention to concerns over racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in other parts of the country, with calls for accountability and a thorough investigation.
