Racial abuse video: Tripura Police reach Delhi to take custody of influencer Amir Shokeen
Synopsis
Delhi Police arrested social media influencer Amir Shokeen from Karol Bagh after a video allegedly showing racial harassment of a person from Tripura went viral — and now the Tripura Police have arrived in Delhi to take him into custody. With Union Minister Kiren Rijiju amplifying the case and a prior criminal record in play, this is more than an influencer controversy: it is a test case for accountability over Northeast-targeted content.
Key Takeaways
Amir Shokeen was arrested by Delhi Police from Karol Bagh on Wednesday, 22 October , over an alleged racial harassment video targeting a person from Tripura .
An FIR was registered at Sadar Bazar police station under Sections 192, 196, 352, and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) .
The Tripura Police have reached Delhi and will seek transit remand to take custody of Shokeen.
Shokeen claimed the video was scripted and both parties were joking; he apologised after the backlash.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the issue on social media, prompting the Tripura Students Forum Delhi to file a formal complaint.
Shokeen has prior FIRs registered against him under Sections 323, 324, 504, and 506 of the IPC .
Social media influencer Amir Shokeen was arrested by the Delhi Police from the Karol Bagh area of the national capital on Thursday, 22 October, in connection with an alleged incident of racial harassment and humiliation of an individual from Tripura, captured in a widely circulated video. A team from the Tripura Police, which had independently registered a case against Shokeen, has since reached Delhi to take custody of the influencer from the Sadar Bazar police station.
Arrest and Custody Transfer
According to officials, Shokeen had been continuously changing his location after the video triggered a major backlash online. Police traced his location to Shahdara on Thursday afternoon, before eventually apprehending him from Karol Bagh with the help of technical surveillance on Wednesday evening. He was reportedly hiding at a relative's house at the time of his arrest.
The Tripura Police will produce Shokeen before a court to obtain his transit remand before formally taking him into custody. Officials confirmed that the team will proceed to the Sadar Bazar police station to complete the handover.
FIR and Legal Provisions
The Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the Sadar Bazar police station under Sections 192, 196, 352, and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case was filed after the Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD) submitted a formal complaint seeking urgent police intervention over the alleged treatment of the individual featured in the video.
Notably, this is not Shokeen's first brush with the law. Officials said that cases under Sections 323, 324, 504, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had previously been registered against him as well.
What Shokeen Said
After the video surfaced and drew widespread condemnation, Shokeen issued an apology. In a Facebook post, he claimed the video was scripted and that the man featured in it was known to him — reportedly a former employee at a friend's cafe in Ahmedabad. Shokeen described the exchange as a humorous video in which both individuals were joking, adding that he had no intention of insulting anyone. According to police, the controversial video was reportedly made approximately a month before his arrest.
Political and Community Response
The case gained national traction after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the issue on social media, drawing political attention to the incident. The Tripura Students Forum Delhi expressed serious concern over the alleged racial humiliation of the individual, urging prompt police action and a thorough investigation. This comes amid growing public scrutiny over the role of social media influencers in promoting or normalising content perceived as discriminatory against communities from India's Northeast.
What Happens Next
Shokeen is expected to be produced before a Delhi court for transit remand before being taken to Tripura, where a separate case against him is already registered. Legal proceedings in both states are likely to run concurrently. The incident has reignited debate around accountability standards for social media content creators and the protections available to individuals from the Northeast against racially charged content online.
Point of View
Who have long reported discrimination with little systemic recourse. The speed of action here is notable: Rijiju's social media intervention appears to have directly accelerated FIR registration, raising questions about whether political attention is the precondition for police urgency. Shokeen's defence — that the video was scripted — is a familiar deflection that courts have increasingly scrutinised. The parallel proceedings in Delhi and Tripura will set a precedent for jurisdictional coordination in influencer-related hate content cases.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Amir Shokeen arrested?
Amir Shokeen was arrested by Delhi Police from the Karol Bagh area on 22 October in connection with a video that allegedly shows racial harassment and humiliation of an individual from Tripura. An FIR was registered at Sadar Bazar police station under Sections 192, 196, 352, and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Why are the Tripura Police involved in the case?
The Tripura Police had independently registered a case against Shokeen over the same video and have now reached Delhi to take him into custody. They will produce him before a Delhi court to obtain transit remand before transferring him to Tripura.
What did Amir Shokeen say about the video?
In a Facebook post, Shokeen claimed the video was scripted and that the man in it was known to him — a former worker at a friend's cafe in Ahmedabad. He described it as a humorous exchange and said he had no intention of insulting anyone, while also issuing an apology.
Who raised the issue that led to police action?
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the matter on social media, after which the Tripura Students Forum Delhi submitted a formal complaint to Delhi Police seeking an FIR and urgent investigation into the alleged racial harassment.
Does Amir Shokeen have prior criminal cases against him?
Yes, according to officials, cases under Sections 323, 324, 504, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code had previously been registered against Shokeen, making this the latest in a series of legal actions against him.
