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Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Talibanisation of society': After Punjab influencer Kamal Kaur Bhabi's killing, cops go hard on vigilantes; debate rages on what defines vulgarity
Chandigarh: The top brass of Punjab Police has asked the force's officers to deal with acts of moral policing with an iron hand, as a storm rages in the state over social media influencer Kanchan Tiwari aka 'Kamal Kaur Bhabi' being murdered by a self-styled Nihang Sikh, Amritpal Singh Mehron, and his two associates who found her content to be obscene. Acting on these directions, police have arrested a Patiala man for allegedly threatening an Amritsar-based influencer, Deepika Luthra, who has also been provided security along with a second content creator. A police officer said Luthra had received numerous threats and police were investigating each. "People appear to be making threats to make some splash due to the attention the incident [Tiwari murder] has received," said the officer. Punjab special director general of police (law and order) Arpit Shukla advised such self-styled vigilantes to approach the police if they found anything "objectionable". "We have instructed officers to take strict action against those who are issuing threats. As far as vulgarity is concerned, who are they (self-styled Nihang Sikhs who killed Kanchan) to decide... It is a broad subject, and the definition of vulgarity is different at different places. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo For instance, in the Islamic world, the definition of vulgarity would be different than other places," Shukla said. While Mehron fled to the UAE just seven hours after committing the crime at 2.30am on June 10, Bathinda police – the district where Kanchan's body was found on June 11 – have arrested his two associates and issued look-out circulars against Mehron and another accused, Ranjit Singh. Police have also obtained an open-dated arrest warrant and is set to initiate proceedings for Mehron's deportation. Divided opinions There is a split in society when it comes to the Taliban-style murder of Tiwari, with the biggest defence for Mehron and his associates coming from Giani Malkit Singh, the head granthi of Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism. He said Sikh gurus' teachings asked people to keep away from vulgar songs and obscenity. "If someone from another religion changes their name and indulges in such acts to defame the Sikh community, the person should meet the same fate [as Kamal Tiwari]. Nothing wrong has happened," Giani Malkit said. However, many don't agree with his justification. "This is Talibanisation of society and the outcome of a radical mindset. After this, will they also now object to films for which there is a censor board? When some respectable voices speak in favour of such acts, police's task becomes more challenging," said a police officer, who did not wish to be named. Singer Mika Singh put out a video to condemn the act. "Warriors do not attack unarmed women and children," he said. He added the three Nihang Sikhs could have filed a police complaint or counselled the woman. "Why are you killing someone who is dancing and wearing short clothes. There are many other atrocities being committed [in the country], do something for that," Mika said. He also requested chief minister Bhagwant Mann to "rein in such elements". Akali Dal Waris Punjab De legal adviser Imaan Singh Khara, in a video, blamed AAP govt in Punjab for "increasing vulgarity" on social media platforms and for "not acting to check that". Imaan is the son of senior advocate Harpal Singh Khara, counsel for the two associates of Mehron who have been arrested for Kanchan Tiwari's murder. He put out a video on Monday and said the CM Bhagwant Mann-led govt failed to check vulgarity. Citing the Information Technology (IT) Act, Imaan said, "It is a legal offence to spread vulgarity online and in electronic form and govt had powers to ban that. But, like it failed to act against drugs, it failed to ban such social media accounts. AAP govt has been banning those accounts which bat for farmers and Punjab's rights, but has failed to ban the vulgar accounts, be it of men or women. Had it acted earlier, the present circumstances could have been avoided." However, Nihang order Budha Dal chief Baba Balbir Singh reminded the accused of what Khalsa stood for. Responding to a question by the media in a video, the Budha Dal chief pointed out that mobile phones had their pros and cons and there was a need to avoid their misuse. "But one should keep in mind that Khalsa never attacks an unarmed person," he said. 'You get what you watch' Social media influencers argue that the content they put out is driven by viewers who watch such content. A Punjab Police officer too said it was the discretion of viewers. "It all depends on surfing patterns and the content one watches. The viewer has the option to like or dislike a post. Accordingly, there is a pattern of algorithm of the content that appears on one's social media accounts," said the officer. The cyber-crime division of Punjab Police has two wings to monitor and regulate [content] if there is anything incriminating or objectionable. It has a social media analysis centre (SMAC) and a round-the-clock cyber-patrolling unit (CPU), an official said. "If CPU comes across any objectionable or instigating post, like seditious one or the one having the potential to disturb communal harmony, it is flagged to SMAC for blocking. After a three-tier filtering process, the posts or social media handles are identified and a request is sent to the platform concerned to remove those," said the official. The official cited situations where there are borderline posts. "Social media platforms analyse requests on various parameters, including community guidelines and take action accordingly. In case of seditious posts, all requests are accepted. Comparatively, not all posts which are flagged as politically defamatory are removed by the platform concerned. As far as posts with 'vulgar' content are concerned, the definition is wide. Something which may be seen as unlawful here, might not be unlawful in the country from where the social media platform is operating. Something which may be considered obscene here, might not be considered obscene for them," said another official. In May, the cyber-crime division of Punjab police got 555 posts and socials media accounts removed/blocked, which included those identified by the CPU and the complaints it received. These included 222 posts on Facebook, 152 on Instagram, 162 on YouTube and 19 on X. Chandigarh: The top brass of Punjab Police has asked the force's officers to deal with acts of moral policing with an iron hand, as a storm rages in the state over social media influencer Kanchan Tiwari aka 'Kamal Kaur Bhabi' being murdered by a self-styled Nihang Sikh, Amritpal Singh Mehron, and his two associates who found her content to be obscene. Acting on these directions, police have arrested a Patiala man for allegedly threatening an Amritsar-based influencer, Deepika Luthra, who has also been provided security along with a second content creator. A police officer said Luthra had received numerous threats and police were investigating each. "People appear to be making threats to make some splash due to the attention the incident [Tiwari murder] has received," said the officer. Punjab special director general of police (law and order) Arpit Shukla advised such self-styled vigilantes to approach the police if they found anything "objectionable". "We have instructed officers to take strict action against those who are issuing threats. As far as vulgarity is concerned, who are they (self-styled Nihang Sikhs who killed Kanchan) to decide... It is a broad subject, and the definition of vulgarity is different at different places. For instance, in the Islamic world, the definition of vulgarity would be different than other places," Shukla said. While Mehron fled to the UAE just seven hours after committing the crime at 2.30am on June 10, Bathinda police – the district where Kanchan's body was found on June 11 – have arrested his two associates and issued look-out circulars against Mehron and another accused, Ranjit Singh. Police have also obtained an open-dated arrest warrant and is set to initiate proceedings for Mehron's deportation. Divided opinions There is a split in society when it comes to the Taliban-style murder of Tiwari, with the biggest defence for Mehron and his associates coming from Giani Malkit Singh, the head granthi of Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism. He said Sikh gurus' teachings asked people to keep away from vulgar songs and obscenity. "If someone from another religion changes their name and indulges in such acts to defame the Sikh community, the person should meet the same fate [as Kamal Tiwari]. Nothing wrong has happened," Giani Malkit said. However, many don't agree with his justification. "This is Talibanisation of society and the outcome of a radical mindset. After this, will they also now object to films for which there is a censor board? When some respectable voices speak in favour of such acts, police's task becomes more challenging," said a police officer, who did not wish to be named. Singer Mika Singh put out a video to condemn the act. "Warriors do not attack unarmed women and children," he said. He added the three Nihang Sikhs could have filed a police complaint or counselled the woman. "Why are you killing someone who is dancing and wearing short clothes. There are many other atrocities being committed [in the country], do something for that," Mika said. He also requested chief minister Bhagwant Mann to "rein in such elements". Akali Dal Waris Punjab De legal adviser Imaan Singh Khara, in a video, blamed AAP govt in Punjab for "increasing vulgarity" on social media platforms and for "not acting to check that". Imaan is the son of senior advocate Harpal Singh Khara, counsel for the two associates of Mehron who have been arrested for Kanchan Tiwari's murder. He put out a video on Monday and said the CM Bhagwant Mann-led govt failed to check vulgarity. Citing the Information Technology (IT) Act, Imaan said, "It is a legal offence to spread vulgarity online and in electronic form and govt had powers to ban that. But, like it failed to act against drugs, it failed to ban such social media accounts. AAP govt has been banning those accounts which bat for farmers and Punjab's rights, but has failed to ban the vulgar accounts, be it of men or women. Had it acted earlier, the present circumstances could have been avoided." However, Nihang order Budha Dal chief Baba Balbir Singh reminded the accused of what Khalsa stood for. Responding to a question by the media in a video, the Budha Dal chief pointed out that mobile phones had their pros and cons and there was a need to avoid their misuse. "But one should keep in mind that Khalsa never attacks an unarmed person," he said. 'You get what you watch' Social media influencers argue that the content they put out is driven by viewers who watch such content. A Punjab Police officer too said it was the discretion of viewers. "It all depends on surfing patterns and the content one watches. The viewer has the option to like or dislike a post. Accordingly, there is a pattern of algorithm of the content that appears on one's social media accounts," said the officer. The cyber-crime division of Punjab Police has two wings to monitor and regulate [content] if there is anything incriminating or objectionable. It has a social media analysis centre (SMAC) and a round-the-clock cyber-patrolling unit (CPU), an official said. "If CPU comes across any objectionable or instigating post, like seditious one or the one having the potential to disturb communal harmony, it is flagged to SMAC for blocking. After a three-tier filtering process, the posts or social media handles are identified and a request is sent to the platform concerned to remove those," said the official. The official cited situations where there are borderline posts. "Social media platforms analyse requests on various parameters, including community guidelines and take action accordingly. In case of seditious posts, all requests are accepted. Comparatively, not all posts which are flagged as politically defamatory are removed by the platform concerned. As far as posts with 'vulgar' content are concerned, the definition is wide. Something which may be seen as unlawful here, might not be unlawful in the country from where the social media platform is operating. Something which may be considered obscene here, might not be considered obscene for them," said another official. In May, the cyber-crime division of Punjab police got 555 posts and socials media accounts removed/blocked, which included those identified by the CPU and the complaints it received. These included 222 posts on Facebook, 152 on Instagram, 162 on YouTube and 19 on X.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Talibanisation of society': Punjab Police go hard on vigilantes as influencer Kanchan Tiwari's murder over moral policing spills over
Chandigarh: The top brass of Punjab Police has asked the force's officers to deal with acts of moral policing with an iron hand, as a storm rages in the state over social media influencer Kanchan Tiwari aka 'Kamal Kaur Bhabi' being murdered by a self-styled Nihang Sikh, Amritpal Singh Mehron, and his two associates who found her content to be obscene. Acting on these directions, police have arrested a Patiala man for allegedly threatening an Amritsar-based influencer, Deepika Luthra, who has also been provided security along with a second content creator. A police officer said Luthra had received numerous threats and police were investigating each. "People appear to be making threats to make some splash due to the attention the incident [Tiwari murder] has received," said the officer. Punjab special director general of police (law and order) Arpit Shukla advised such self-styled vigilantes to approach the police if they found anything "objectionable". "We have instructed officers to take strict action against those who are issuing threats. As far as vulgarity is concerned, who are they (self-styled Nihang Sikhs who killed Kanchan) to decide... It is a broad subject, and the definition of vulgarity is different at different places. For instance, in the Islamic world, the definition of vulgarity would be different than other places," Shukla said. While Mehron fled to the UAE just seven hours after committing the crime at 2.30am on June 10, Bathinda police – the district where Kanchan's body was found on June 11 – have arrested his two associates and issued look-out circulars against Mehron and another accused, Ranjit Singh. Police have also obtained an open-dated arrest warrant and is set to initiate proceedings for Mehron's deportation. Divided opinions There is a split in society when it comes to the Taliban-style murder of Tiwari, with the biggest defence for Mehron and his associates coming from Giani Malkit Singh, the head granthi of Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism. He said Sikh gurus' teachings asked people to keep away from vulgar songs and obscenity. "If someone from another religion changes their name and indulges in such acts to defame the Sikh community, the person should meet the same fate [as Kamal Tiwari]. Nothing wrong has happened," Giani Malkit said. However, many don't agree with his justification. "This is Talibanisation of society and the outcome of a radical mindset. After this, will they also now object to films for which there is a censor board? When some respectable voices speak in favour of such acts, police's task becomes more challenging," said a police officer, who did not wish to be named. Singer Mika Singh put out a video to condemn the act. "Warriors do not attack unarmed women and children," he said. He added the three Nihang Sikhs could have filed a police complaint or counselled the woman. "Why are you killing someone who is dancing and wearing short clothes. There are many other atrocities being committed [in the country], do something for that," Mika said. He also requested chief minister Bhagwant Mann to "rein in such elements". Akali Dal Waris Punjab De legal adviser Imaan Singh Khara, in a video, blamed AAP govt in Punjab for "increasing vulgarity" on social media platforms and for "not acting to check that". Imaan is the son of senior advocate Harpal Singh Khara, counsel for the two associates of Mehron who have been arrested for Kanchan Tiwari's murder. He put out a video on Monday and said the CM Bhagwant Mann-led govt failed to check vulgarity. Citing the Information Technology (IT) Act, Imaan said, "It is a legal offence to spread vulgarity online and in electronic form and govt had powers to ban that. But, like it failed to act against drugs, it failed to ban such social media accounts. AAP govt has been banning those accounts which bat for farmers and Punjab's rights, but has failed to ban the vulgar accounts, be it of men or women. Had it acted earlier, the present circumstances could have been avoided." However, Nihang order Budha Dal chief Baba Balbir Singh reminded the accused of what Khalsa stood for. Responding to a question by the media in a video, the Budha Dal chief pointed out that mobile phones had their pros and cons and there was a need to avoid their misuse. "But one should keep in mind that Khalsa never attacks an unarmed person," he said. 'You get what you watch' Social media influencers argue that the content they put out is driven by viewers who watch such content. A Punjab Police officer too said it was the discretion of viewers. "It all depends on surfing patterns and the content one watches. The viewer has the option to like or dislike a post. Accordingly, there is a pattern of algorithm of the content that appears on one's social media accounts," said the officer. The cyber-crime division of Punjab Police has two wings to monitor and regulate [content] if there is anything incriminating or objectionable. It has a social media analysis centre (SMAC) and a round-the-clock cyber-patrolling unit (CPU), an official said. "If CPU comes across any objectionable or instigating post, like seditious one or the one having the potential to disturb communal harmony, it is flagged to SMAC for blocking. After a three-tier filtering process, the posts or social media handles are identified and a request is sent to the platform concerned to remove those," said the official. The official cited situations where there are borderline posts. "Social media platforms analyse requests on various parameters, including community guidelines and take action accordingly. In case of seditious posts, all requests are accepted. Comparatively, not all posts which are flagged as politically defamatory are removed by the platform concerned. As far as posts with 'vulgar' content are concerned, the definition is wide. Something which may be seen as unlawful here, might not be unlawful in the country from where the social media platform is operating. Something which may be considered obscene here, might not be considered obscene for them," said another official. In May, the cyber-crime division of Punjab police got 555 posts and socials media accounts removed/blocked, which included those identified by the CPU and the complaints it received. These included 222 posts on Facebook, 152 on Instagram, 162 on YouTube and 19 on X.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Nihang Amritpal Singh Mehron claims responsibility for killing influencer Kamal Kaur, warns others against posting obscene videos
Amritpal Singh Mehron , a Nihang Sikh leader, has claimed responsibility for the murder of Punjabi social media influencer Kamal Kaur , also known online as Kanchan Kumari. Punjab Police began a murder investigation on Wednesday night after Kaur's body was found inside a car parked near Adesh Medical University in Bathinda. Mehron posted a video on social media taking responsibility for the act. In the video, he alleged that Kaur had defamed Sikh traditions and used the name 'Kaur' to share obscene content. He also issued a warning to other online creators. 'Khalsa never attacks women, but when a woman targets our Takhts and mocks Sikh values, she cannot be spared,' Mehron said. He showed clips of Kaur's past videos and vowed to stop the 'spread of vulgarity' in Punjab. Police arrest two Nihangs in connection with murder Meanwhile two Nihang Sikhs have been taken into custody for their suspected role in the crime. Authorities are investigating their possible links with Mehron and their involvement in the case. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo — Gagan4344 (@Gagan4344) Kamal Kaur, a Ludhiana resident, was known for her short videos on Instagram, where she had more than 3.83 lakh followers. Her content, often provocative, had previously attracted threats from religious groups and gangsters based overseas. Cops suspect body was dumped in parked car The car in which Kaur's body was found was reportedly registered in Ludhiana, but police suspect the registration number may be fake. Officers believe the murder may have happened at another location and the body was later placed in the vehicle. Live Events Local residents informed the police after noticing a foul smell from the parked car. Police then arrived, recovered the body, and traced the registration details. Kaur had left for Bathinda on June 9 to attend an event and had not contacted her family since then. Investigators are now examining CCTV footage from nearby areas to reconstruct Kaur's last known movements and identify all those involved in the crime.
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pride parade in India cancelled after protests and threats by religious groups
A pride parade in the northern Indian state of Punjab has been cancelled after it was threatened by Sikh religious groups. Organisers said over the weekend they had cancelled the march, prioritising the safety of participants. The march was scheduled to take place on 27 April in Amritsar city, some 450km north of the national capital Delhi. 'This year, due to opposition, we are informing that Pride Amritsar is cancelling the Pride Parade 2025," organisers Ridham Chadha and Ramit Seth said in a statement. "We do not intend to harm the sentiments of any religious or political groups. The safety of our members is our first priority and we will take measures to safeguard it." The acting leader of the Akal Takht – the temporal authority in Sikhism – had condemned the march and called it "unnatural", Punjab News reported. Paramjit Singh Akali, a leader of the Nihang Sikh community, had also reportedly urged local authorities to deny permission to the march. Amritsar is home to the Golden Temple, a gurudwara on a lake that is considered one of the holiest sites in Sikhism. Nihang Sikh groups argued Amritsar was a religious city where 'nothing like this should happen on this soil". 'If it happens, the administration will be responsible for the deteriorating atmosphere,' Mr Singh Akali was quoted as saying by the local broadcaster ETV Bharat. If the administration did not stop the parade, he warned, Nihang Sikhs would 'stop it in their own way". Members of the LGBT+ community in over a dozen Indian states hold pride parades most summers. The tradition began as an act of defiance in the eastern city of Kolkata in July 1999, at a time when homosexuality was illegal in the country. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a British colonial law that had made gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison and expanded constitutional rights for the LGBT+ community. The ruling was seen as a historic victory for human rights campaigners. Narendra Modi 's Hindu nationalist government, in its first term at the time, did not oppose decriminalisation during the Supreme Court's hearings. But it has repeatedly resisted the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and rejected several petitions in favour. Some religious groups have also opposed recognising same-sex unions, claiming they go against Indian culture.
