CHANDIGARH: Self-styled Sikh radical Amritpal Singh Mehron, the prime accused in the murder of digital content creator Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi allegedly for posting 'obscene' content has also issued threats to other social media influencers, including Simarpreet Kaur alias 'Preet Jatti' and Deepika Luthra.
Punjab Police have now issued a lookout circular against Mehron, who has now fled to the UAE. The police have also blocked four of his Instagram handles in India, along with the account of the group he heads, ‘Kaum De Rakhe’, for allegedly posting racist content and death threats.
A 30-year-old Nihang and resident of Moga, Mehron has a significant social media following. His blocked accounts amritpalsinghmehron, amritpalsingh_mehron, amritpal.singh.mehron, and kaum.de.rakhe are now inaccessible in India, displaying a message citing legal restrictions.
Sources state several other accounts are under scrutiny for supporting Mehron's objectionable content. Disturbingly, some influencers from Punjab and Haryana have posted videos justifying Kanchan’s murder as a "warning" to so-called "immoral elements."
On Saturday, Simarpreet Kaur, alias ‘Preet Jatti’ a popular influencer from Tarn Taran with over 5 lakh Instagram followers revealed she had received death threats for promoting astrology. She stated she had been warned against posting any content and appealed for police protection, highlighting her concern for her five-month-old child.
Another influencer, Deepika Luthra from Amritsar, said she too was threatened by Mehron. Though she had deleted her earlier posts and publicly apologised, she claimed to still feel endangered. Mehron allegedly warned her that “there are many parking lots, and it is not necessary for a body to be found every time.”
The cybercrime cell of Amritsar Police has registered a case against Mehron for issuing threats to Luthra and others, warning them against posting "double meaning" or vulgar content.
In a video posted on Friday, three members of the social media platform Pendu Jatt Records also issued an apology to Mehron, pledging to stop posting "obscene" content, admitting they had done so to increase their follower count.
Meanwhile, Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti has come out in support of Mehron, offering him “any kind of support” to act against social media influencers allegedly promoting “indecent” content.
Mehron flees to the UAE just an hour before the incident
Senior Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, Amneet Kondal confirmed that a lookout circular has been issued to prevent Mehron from fleeing the country. The state cyber cell has launched a formal investigation.
"When we obtained the passport details of Singh and checked his travel records and found that he had fled to the UAE after killing Kanchan. We are now following the procedure for his deportation and have informed the authorities there that he is wanted in a murder case," she said and added that the cyber cell of the state police has initiated the action.
Mehron, who refers to himself as a religious leader, contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly election from the Tarn Taran seat on a Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) ticket but was unsuccessful. As per his election affidavit, he studied up to Class 12 (non-medical stream) and holds a diploma in diesel mechanics.
Chairperson of the Punjab State Commission for Women, Raj Lali Gill, condemned the incident, saying, “Self-styled vigilantes have no right to indulge in moral policing or take the law into their own hands. However, it is also the responsibility of content creators to ensure that their material does not breach the social and moral fabric of society. There is a need to raise awareness on this issue, especially as children and youth are heavily influenced by social media.”