Content creator Amir Shokeen was remanded to police custody until November 12 by a West Tripura district court in Agartala after Tripura Police brought him from Delhi to investigate allegations of racial abuse and harassment of a tribal youth in a video circulated on social media. The police secured his custody for further interrogation in a case registered at the New Capital Complex Police Station on October 22 under the BNS, IT Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
At A Glance
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A West Tripura district court remanded content creator Amir Shokeen to police custody until November 12 after the state police brought him from Delhi.
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The case concerns an alleged video showing a tribal youth from Tripura facing racial slurs and harassment.
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Police registered the case on October 22 under the BNS, IT Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A court in Agartala on Tuesday remanded content creator Amir Shokeen to police custody for further interrogation in a case involving alleged racial abuse of a tribal youth from Tripura. The police brought him from Delhi on transit remand and produced him before the Additional District and Sessions Judge of West Tripura district.
The court granted custody until November 12, although the police had sought seven days of remand. Shokeen will appear before the court again on November 13.
Court Grants Two Days of Police Custody
A senior police official said investigators would question Shokeen in connection with the case registered at the New Capital Complex (NCC) Police Station in Agartala.
The police registered the case on October 22 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The investigation concerns a video allegedly showing a young man from Tripura facing racial slurs and harassment.
Delhi Police Arrested Shokeen on October 22
The Delhi Police arrested Shokeen from the Karol Bagh area on October 22. He was produced before the Tis Hazari Court on October 24, which remanded him to five days of police custody.
A Tripura Police team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) subsequently travelled to Delhi to bring him back to the state.
After completing the transit formalities, the team produced him before the court in Agartala and sought further custody for interrogation.
DGP Coordinated With Delhi Police Over Viral Video
Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Rao said the state police registered the FIR after a video allegedly showing racial abuse of a Tripura youth surfaced online. The video came to his notice on October 21, following which he contacted senior Delhi Police officials to coordinate action.
Rao spoke to the Special Commissioner of Police heading the Special Police Unit for the North Eastern Region of Delhi Police and the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Preliminary findings suggested that someone recorded the video in Ahmedabad around one-and-a-half months before it surfaced online.
The DGP also confirmed that investigators had identified the person who uploaded the video on social media.
“We will take action legally, whatever is required, against the people involved in this incident,” Rao had said.
The investigation will examine how the video was recorded and circulated and establish the roles of those allegedly involved.
CM Manik Saha Directed Coordination With Delhi Police
Earlier, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha had directed DGP Rao to coordinate with the Delhi Police over the alleged derogatory remarks against a young tribal man from Tripura.
The incident triggered widespread condemnation across political circles. Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the alleged racial abuse and called for action against those responsible.
The CPI-M, Congress and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) also denounced the incident and demanded legal action against the accused.
Four Youth Organisations Lodge Police Complaints
Four youth and student organisations affiliated with the CPI-M and TMP also lodged police complaints against Shokeen in Agartala over the alleged racial abuse of a Tripura youth.
The CPI-M-affiliated Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Tribal Youth Federation (TYF) filed complaints. The TMP-affiliated Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) and TIPRA Indigenous Students’ Federation (TISF) also approached the police over the video.
The incident has renewed demands for action against racial harassment targeting people from Tripura and other North Eastern states. Police are continuing their investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify everyone involved. (Edited by Enewstime Desk)