A video purportedly showing a youth from Tripura being racially abused and humiliated led Delhi Police to register a case on their own initiative and arrest content creator Amir Shokeen, an official said on Thursday.
The arrest followed demands for action from Union Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju and Tripura chief minister Manik Saha, amid widespread condemnation of the footage.
Earlier, a case was registered after the Delhi Police took suo motu cognisance of a purported video of the incident and launched an investigation into the matter.
"The content creator, identified as Amir Shokeen, is a bad character of Sadar Bazar area and has previously been involved in multiple cases of brawling," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Niharika Bhatt told PTI.
Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is investigating the video of the alleged racial abuse.
The police's Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER) had earlier written to the IFSO unit, asking it to investigate the video, they said.
Police personnel earlier visited Shokeen's residence, but a senior police officer said he was not present there.
Leaders across party lines have condemned the alleged incident and demanded action.
Rijiju, in a post on X, said he would face action and police in Delhi and Tripura would teach him a "hard lesson".
"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.
The Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD), in a complaint dated October 21 addressed to the Joint Commissioner of Police, SPUNER, sought an urgent and impartial investigation into the video, alleging it showed a person from Tripura being subjected to sexual assault, harassment and humiliating treatment by a social media content creator.
The complaint identified the Instagram account of Amir Shokeen as allegedly linked to the incident and sought verification of the identity and role of the person operating it, along with that of others who may have participated in or recorded the alleged incident.
The forum also alleged that the video contained racially derogatory expressions directed at the individual and a demeaning reference to Tripura, which it said had caused anguish among members of the state's community.
Seeking appropriate legal action, the forum urged police to preserve electronic evidence, including the original recording, metadata, account details and upload history, and take measures to prevent further harassment or intimidation of the person concerned.
The complaint sought registration of an FIR wherever warranted by the facts and applicable legal provisions.
Tripura chief minister Manik Saha has also directed the state's director general of police to coordinate with the Delhi Police over the matter.