Agartala, Nov 13: A court in Tripura on Friday extended the police custody of social media influencer and content creator Amir Shokeen by another three days for further interrogation in connection with an alleged racial abuse and harassment case involving a tribal youth from the state, police said.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge of West Tripura district remanded Shokeen to police custody till November 15. He will be produced before the court again on November 16, a police official said.
Shokeen was brought to Agartala from Delhi on November 10 on transit remand after being arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the case.
Following his arrival, Tripura Police produced him before the court and sought seven days of custody for interrogation. However, the court initially granted police custody till November 12.
The police produced him before the court again on Friday, following which his custody was extended by three more days.
A case was registered on October 22 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Shokeen was initially arrested by Delhi Police from the Karol Bagh area on October 22 and subsequently remanded to five days of police custody by a court in Delhi.
A Tripura Police team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) travelled to the national capital to bring him to the state for investigation.
Tripura Director General of Police G S Rao had earlier said the FIR was registered after a video allegedly showing a youth from the state being subjected to racial slurs and harassment circulated on social media.
Rao said the video came to his notice on October 21, following which he contacted senior Delhi Police officials, including the Special Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Police Unit for the North Eastern Region.
Preliminary information suggested that the video was recorded in Ahmedabad around one-and-a-half months ago. The identity of the person who uploaded it on social media had also been established, he had said.
The video, containing alleged racially derogatory remarks against the tribal youth, triggered widespread condemnation and demands for action against those responsible.
Chief Minister Manik Saha had earlier directed the DGP to coordinate with Delhi Police over the incident.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, along with political parties, including the CPI(M), Congress and Tipra Motha Party, condemned the alleged incident and demanded stringent action.
Two CPI(M)-affiliated youth organisations and two youth and student organisations associated with the Tipra Motha Party had also lodged separate police complaints against Shokeen in Agartala.
