The family of Delhi-based content creator Amir Shokeen had cut ties with him 12-14 years ago, his brother said, as Shokeen faces backlash over a video allegedly showing him racially abusing a youth from Tripura.
Speaking about his brother, Mohammed Wasim Raja described him as a “miscreant” and alleged that he had been involved in extortion and the illegal occupation of properties. Raja also claimed that Shokeen had illegally acquired his property.
“Amir Shokeen is a miscreant who has many cases filed against him. Sometimes he goes around with people from the Aam Aadmi Party or others, or Imran. He also does extortion and illegally occupies properties. He had illegally acquired my property too. We cut all ties with him 12-14 years ago. We are four brothers in total,” Raja told news agency ANI.
What does the video show?
In the video, Shokeen is allegedly heard calling the youth “Chinese”, comparing his appearance to pop star Michael Jackson and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and mocking the name of Tripura. The footage also appears to show him making offensive gestures and touching the youth inappropriately while presenting the interaction as online comedy.
Shokeen later posted videos on Instagram apologising for the incident. He claimed the interaction was scripted and that the youth featured in the video was a “known person”.
The circumstances and location of the incident could not be independently established.
Kiren Rijiju, Tripura CM condemn alleged racial abuse
Shokeen is facing widespread condemnation over the video that showed him making derogatory comments about a young man from Tripura, including remarks about his appearance and regional identity.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday condemned the alleged racial abuse and said the Delhi and Tripura Police would take action against the accused.
In a post on X, Rijiju said there had been a delay in filing an official complaint but vowed that the accused would face consequences. He also criticised those who tolerated such behaviour, saying they were responsible for allowing hatred to spread in society.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has also called for action. The chief minister directed the state's Director General of Police to coordinate with the Delhi Police over the alleged derogatory remarks, according to a post by the Chief Minister's Office on X.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is set to probe the incident, officials told news agency PTI. The Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER) has sent a formal request to the IFSO unit to investigate the video, they added.
(With inputs from agencies)