The Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is examining a viral video that allegedly shows social media influencer Amir Shokeen subjecting a youth from Tripura to racial abuse and humiliation, after a formal complaint sought investigation and preservation of digital evidence.
Shokeen has apologised in videos posted online, saying the incident was intended as a joke. He also claimed in another Instagram video that the footage was scripted. The allegations have triggered condemnation from political leaders and organisations representing students from the Northeast.
The Delhi Police’s Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER) formally wrote to the IFSO unit on Thursday, asking it to investigate the viral clip, officials said. The IFSO unit is examining the matter, and further details of the investigation are awaited.
The Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD), in a complaint dated October 21 addressed to the joint commissioner of police, SPUNER, alleged that the video depicted 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 @amirshoksen as allegedly linked to the incident.
The forum asked police to verify the identity and role of the person operating the account, as well as anyone else who may have participated in or recorded the alleged incident. It also sought preservation of the original recording, metadata, account details and upload history. The complaint requested measures to prevent further harassment or intimidation of the youth and called for registration of an FIR wherever warranted by the facts and applicable legal provisions.
In an apology video, Shokeen said he had made a mistake and claimed that he had deleted the video. He apologised to people in Tripura and to Chief Minister Manik Saha, who had called for action over the controversy. Shokeen also said he had made more than 2,000 videos and had not previously hurt any community, referring to Hindus and Muslims in his statement.
The reported remarks in the video allegedly included racial slurs and references to the youth as “Chinese”. The footage’s authenticity, the identities and roles of those involved, and the circumstances surrounding its recording and circulation remain matters for the police investigation.
The controversy has drawn responses from Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha. Rijiju said the accused would face action and that Delhi and Tripura Police would take the matter forward. Saha had earlier directed Tripura’s director general of police to coordinate with Delhi Police. Leaders across party lines in Tripura have also condemned the alleged conduct and demanded legal action.
The next steps will depend on the IFSO examination, including verification of the video and associated electronic evidence, and on whether police find grounds to register an FIR under applicable legal provisions.
