New Delhi: A Delhi-based influencer has been arrested by Delhi Police after a video showing him using racial slur against a Tripura man went viral. Accused Amir Shokeen is a resident of Sadar Bazar.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage. Union minister Kiren Rijiju has condemned the incident, saying the accused will be punished, and the Delhi and Tripura police will take action in the matter. In a post on X Wednesday, Rijiju said: “There was a delay in lodging the official complaint but Delhi Police and Tripura Police will teach him a hard lesson.”
This evil man will be punished. There was delay in lodging the official complaint but Delhi Police and Tripura Police will teach him a hard lesson. People who tolerate such wicked behavior in the society are also responsible for the spread of hatred. pic.twitter.com/EnmaPFCE3x
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 21, 2026
FIRs have been lodged in both Delhi and Tripura in connection with the incident. Investigators are examining the video and working to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.
In the national capital, Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit has joined the investigation to provide technical assistance, while the Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER) is assisting with the probe.
Police in Tripura capital Agartala registered a case in the matter Wednesday, and are expected to visit Delhi as part of the investigation. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has directed the state’s director general of police to coordinate with Delhi Police over the matter.
Speaking to the press, Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North District Niharika Bhatt said, “It came to our attention via social media that a man named Amir Shokeen, a resident of Sadar Bazar, was using racial slur against a young man from Tripura.”
Police subsequently registered an FIR on their own at Sadar Bazar police station against Shokeen, she added.
The FIR invokes sections 192 (provocation with intent to cause a riot), 196 (promoting enmity between groups), 352 (intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace) and 353 (statements or information that may cause public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Bhatt described Shokeen as a “bad character”, and said he had a criminal record, including cases involving alleged physical altercations as well as a molestation.
“The language used in the video constitutes a very serious offence. Whenever such language is used or such actions are taken, the police register an FIR and take immediate action. We, therefore, urge everyone to refrain from engaging in such behaviour,” Bhatt said.
Shokeen has since apologised for the video, saying it was meant as a “joke”.
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‘Discrimination continues’
The Tripura Students Forum Delhi (TSFD) filed a complaint Wednesday with the joint commissioner of police, SPUNER, seeking an urgent and impartial investigation in the matter.
The TSFD complaint to police identified the Instagram account associated with the video as @amirshoksen, and urged police to investigate the role of anyone who may have participated in or recorded the incident. The forum also urged the police to preserve electronic evidence, including the original video, metadata, account details and upload history, and to take steps to prevent further harassment or intimidation of the young man.
Speaking to ThePrint, TSFD president Shakti Barma said the man in the video repeatedly refers to Tripura with derogatory terms. Shokeen, he added, has posted an apology video where he claims to be the young man’s friend. However, Barma clarified that the two are not friends, and that the young man worked at a business run by one of Shokeen’s friends.
The accused has also claimed that the video is scripted, Barma said, adding that this would make the matter more troubling if true. He called for strict action, and said people from the Northeast continue to face discrimination.
Asked about the young man allegedly targeted in the video, Barma said he is fine now.
Edited by Sunanda Ranjan
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