Punjab cops ready dossier on controversial influencers
Chandigarh: Following the murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, popularly known as Kamal Kaur 'Bhabhi', by a self-styled vigilante group led by nihang Amritpal Singh Mehron on June 9, Punjab Police have initiated a crackdown on controversial online influencers. The incident has brought renewed focus on the growing influence — and perceived threat — of certain digital content creators.
According to senior officials from the intelligence wing, police are now scrutinising several popular social media accounts alleged to be promoting vulgar content, double-meaning language, or posts that may disturb public order. 'Using human intelligence, we are identifying such accounts and will begin the process of removing objectionable content,' said an official of the intelligence wing requesting anonymity.
The cyber cell of Punjab Police has already flagged nearly 100 controversial posts to respective platforms for removal under the IT Act. Many of these include videos and statements from self-styled influencers who have gained notoriety for provocative content, the official said.
The case has also led to increased threats against other influencers. Deepika Luthra and Simarjeet Kaur — known online as 'Preet Jatti' — have reportedly received threats from extremist elements. Luthra was specifically threatened by Babbar Khalsa International and has since been provided security by Punjab Police. She deactivated her Instagram account on Tuesday.
In a related development, Jasbir Singh, a Ropar-based YouTuber running the channel 'Jaan Mahal', was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani handlers. He is accused of links with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra and expelled Pakistani diplomat Ehsan-ur-Rahim, having visited Pakistan three times in the past five years.
In Jalandhar, a grenade was hurled outside the residence of influencer Rozer Sandhu in Maqsudan. The attack was claimed by Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti, who said it was in response to alleged derogatory remarks made against Islam by the YouTuber.
With hardliner factions increasingly clashing with digital personalities, Punjab Police is now treating the monitoring of social media as a matter of internal security, and more action is expected in the coming weeks.
'Free for all on social media'
The cyber cell wing of Punjab Police monitors the activities of social media influencers only after receiving formal complaints, said a senior official.
Additional director general of police (ADGP), cyber cell, V Neerja said: 'We come into the picture whenever the local police forward a complaint to us. The head of the cyber cell is authorised to take up the matter with the platform where the controversial post has been made.'
She added that the state government, through the cyber cell, reports objectionable posts to platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for removal. If these platforms fail to act, legal provisions under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act come into force.
Section 79 generally grants a 'safe harbour' to intermediaries, protecting them from liability for user-generated content. However, Section 79(3)(b) removes this protection if an intermediary, after receiving actual knowledge or government notification about unlawful content, fails to remove or disable access to it promptly without tampering with evidence.
Further, Section 67A of the IT Act can be invoked if platforms ignore government requests, leading to intervention by the ministry of electronics and information technology, according to a senior cyber cell official.
The official also noted that despite Kamal Kaur's large following — around 4,50,000 on Instagram and a similar number on Facebook — no complaints were ever filed with the police about objectionable content on her accounts. 'Ironically, after her murder, her social media followers increased by around 50,000,' the official said.
Over the past two years, Punjab Police's cyber cell has facilitated the removal of approximately 8,000 objectionable posts from various social media platforms.
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