Maharashtra Cyber Cell Registers FIR Against Sellers For Selling T-Shirts Glorifying Lawrence Bishnoi And Dawood
Photo : Times Now
Maharashtra State Cyber Department, has taken a significant step in addressing criminal and cyber security issues. The Maharashtra Cyber Department has been monitoring various digital media, including social media, to identify content that could create unrest and promote wrongful conduct in society.
Recently, it was discovered that several e-commerce platforms, such as Flipkart, AliExpress, TeeShopper, and Etsy, were selling T-shirts featuring images that glorified notorious criminals like Lawrence Bishnoi and Dawood Ibrahim. Such products, which highlight a criminal lifestyle, can negatively influence the youth. This type of content undermines societal values and glamorizes criminal behavior, potentially spreading harmful influences among young people.
Taking this matter seriously, the Maharashtra Cyber Department has registered an FIR under CR No. 13/2024 against the sellers and platforms hosting such products, including Flipkart, AliExpress, TeeShopper, and Etsy. The charges have been filed under sections 192, 196, 353, 3 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and section 67 of the IT Act, 2000. The Maharashtra Cyber Department is committed to maintaining a safe digital environment and curbing content that threatens public peace.
Earlier, Meesho faced flak for selling T-shirts with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s picture imprinted on it. The issue came to light after filmmaker Alishan Jafri brought it to the notice of the public. Jafri called it an example of “India’s latest online radicalisation.”
Jafri, in a post on X, wrote, “People are literally selling gangster merchandise on platforms like @Meesho_Official and Teeshopper. This is just one example of India’s latest online radicalisation.” As per the post, these T-shirts come printed with Bishnoi’s image with some including the word “gangster.”
“At a time when the police and NIA are struggling to stop youths from joining gang crime, social media influencers are making quick money by promoting gang content and glorifying gangsters,” he added.
These T-shirts, selling at a price as low as Rs 168, have come under scrutiny for glorifying crime and criminals.
The compnay has quickly taken down the products from its site and issued a statement to Times Now.
“We have taken immediate action to deactivate the products. Meesho remains committed to providing a safe and trusted shopping platform for all our users,”said spokesperson from Meesho.
Lawrence Bishnoi has grabbed headlines in recent times after he openly issued a threat to actor Salman Khan for his alleged role in the black buck killing case. Bishnoi has also been involved in several high-profile cases such as the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and recently the assassination of NCP leader Baba Siddique.
Meesho maintained its position as the most downloaded shopping app in India, surpassing 500 million installs in FY24. The company also announced on Wednesday that it has become the first “horizontal” Indian e-commerce platform to achieve profitability, posting a positive free cash flow of ₹232 crore for the fiscal year.
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