A police complaint has been filed against former cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, and Gurkeerat Mann for allegedly portraying individuals with disabilities in a derogatory manner in a video uploaded on Instagram.
The complainant, Arman Ali, who serves as the executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), lodged the complaint with the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Amar Colony police station in New Delhi.
Additionally, the complaint includes Sandhya Devanathan, the vice president and managing director of Meta India, as a respondent.
The complaint alleges that Instagram, a social media platform owned by Meta, violated the Information Technology Act, 2000, by permitting the dissemination of such content. A police official confirmed the receipt of the complaint at the Amar Colony police station and mentioned that it will be referred to the cyber cell of the district for further investigation.
Following India Champions' victory over Pakistan Champions by five wickets in the World Championship of Legends final, the former cricketers shared the contentious video on Instagram. The video shows Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Raina mimicking physical discomfort by limping and holding their backs, purportedly to illustrate the toll taken by the matches on their bodies.
Disability advocates have criticized the video as being inconsiderate. The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled described the video as "totally disgraceful." The complaint asserts that Instagram failed to comply with its user guidelines, thereby enabling the propagation of derogatory content.
Arman Ali, in the complaint, cited the video as a clear infringement of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees every individual the right to life with dignity.
Furthermore, he contended that the content violated Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and contravened the Supreme Court's guidelines established in the case of Nipun Malhotra vs Sony Pictures Films India Private Limited (2004 SCC Online SC 1639).
Ali urged the authorities to promptly take appropriate action against the involved parties and emphasized the importance of holding public figures accountable for their actions, particularly when they undermine the dignity of vulnerable communities.
In a statement to PTI subsequent to filing the complaint, Ali underscored that a mere apology from the cricketers would be insufficient. He asserted, "They must face penalties for their actions."
Harbhajan has responded to the issue via his social media handle
