Union minister Kiren Rijiju called for strict action, while Tripura DGP GS Rao said a state police team would travel to Delhi to assist the investigation.
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The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested content creator Amir Shokeen for allegedly using racially derogatory remarks against a man from Tripura in a clip which surfaced on social media.
In the 52-second clip, Mohammed Amir alias Amir Shokeen was seen standing holding the man’s hand while throwing racial jibes at him, which were met with laughter by Shokeen’s companions.
Deputy commissioner of police (north) Niharika Bhatt said that Shokeen was arrested from north Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar on Thursday evening. .
Union minister Kiren Rijiju took to X on Wednesday and promised strict action against Shokeen. “People who tolerate such wicked behaviour in the society are also responsible for the spread of hatred,” he wrote.
Also read: In South Delhi, racial abuse didn't come from strangers. It came from my neighbours
Creator booked under four provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The Delhi Police charged Shokeen under sections 192 (malignantly or wantonly do an illegal act that provokes someone), 196 (Promoting or attempting to promote enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different religious, racial, language, regional groups), 352 (Intentionally insulting someone), and 353 (circulating false statements, rumors) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A senior police officer said that Shokeen already faced at least five criminal cases on charges of causing hurt and molestation and was listed as a repeat offender at Sadar Bazaar police station.
Also read: Approach Centre for ‘racial slur’ as hate crime: SC
“During interrogation, it was revealed that the video was filmed in Ahmedabad about a month ago. He claimed it’s a scripted video but it has been found to be a lie,” the senior police officer added.
Shokeen posted an apology video on Instagram on Tuesday and reiterated the claim that the video was scripted. He has 142,000 followers on Instagram and makes what he claims are “funny videos”.
Tripura DGP GS Rao said that a team would head to Delhi to aid the Delhi Police probe.
Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More