BENGALURU: Two social media influencers Rohan Cariappa and Shaayan Bhattacharya have been arrested by the Bengaluru cyber crime police for reportedly posting a video on Instagram, that allegedly mocked and offended the hearing-impaired community. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) had filed a complaint with the Delhi police against the two, for mocking sign language and demanded an apology.
The complaint filed in the third week of July, mentioned that it was a clear violation of the Right to Life with Dignity Act, under Section 21 and the IT Act 2000. The deaf community in Bengaluru had also filed a complaint in a cyber crime police station in the city.
Since the two were based out of Bengaluru, the Delhi police sought the help of the city police, following which they were arrested. Both Rohan Cariappa and Shaayan Bhattacharya alias RJ Shaayan are radio jockeys. The two have since deleted the video and apologised.
It is alleged that the video featured a sign language interpreter making improper gestures, and using offensive language under the guise of entertainment.
The petitioners claimed that the act of the two insulted the deaf community. They also asserted that the video violated the RPWD Act. They also demanded stringent action against the two for creating and sharing offensive content.