YouTuber 'Kuwari Begum' arrested for videos 'promoting' child abuse
What's the story
Ghaziabad Police has arrested YouTuber Shikha Metray, known online as Kuwari Begum, following allegations of promoting child sexual abuse. The case came in response to an an FIR was filed on Wednesday by activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj. Bhardwaj accused Metray of sharing explicit content and endorsing methods of sexually abusing infants on her YouTube channel.
Activist's intervention
Activist flags explicit content, calls for police action
Bhardwaj specifically pointed out a video titled "She will say no. Let her" on Metray's channel in her complaint. She alleged that Metray was encouraging men to ignore women's consent and promoting sexually aggressive behavior toward women and children. Bhardwaj claimed that such content could mislead young boys, prompting her to call for police action against the YouTuber.
Twitter Post
Ghaziabad Police's statement on Youtuber's arrest
थाना कौशांबी पुलिस टीम द्वारा ऑनलाइन यूट्यूब के माध्यम से बच्चों को स्पष्ट यौन कृत्यों के लिए प्रेरित करने तथा बच्चों के प्रति दुर्व्यवहार को बढ़ावा देने वाली 01 अभियुक्ता गिरफ्तार।
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GHAZIABAD (@ghaziabadpolice) June 13, 2024
बाइट- श्री रितेश त्रिपाठी सहायक पुलिस आयुक्त इन्दिरापुरम (कार्यवाहक)@Uppolice pic.twitter.com/xcJftn5jx1
Public outrage
Social media backlash and deactivation of Metray's accounts
Following Bhardwaj's revelations, Metray faced significant backlash on social media. Users discovered that she is a graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Delhi and works in the clothing and apparel industry. Amid growing criticism, Metray seems to have deleted or deactivated her social media accounts, including YouTube and Instagram, which are inaccessible as of now.
Legal action
Legal proceedings and police efforts to remove content
Metray has been charged under Indian Penal Code Section 293 and Information Technology Act-67B in Ghaziabad for creating sexually explicit content, a criminal offense. Additional Commissioner of Police Dinesh P Kumar stated that two police teams have been formed to arrest Metray, who has uploaded approximately 115 videos on her channel with 2,050 subscribers. The police are also liaising with Google to remove the videos, some of which have nearly 800 views. The police investigation is currently ongoing.