The Maharashtra cyber crime branch has filed a police case against e-tailers after T-shirts with photos of gangsters and terrorists were found listed for sale.
The T-shirts with photos of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim were found being sold on Flipkart, AliExpress, TeeShopper and Etsy. These products glorified the two men - one wanted for several murders including the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, and the other for planning and executing terror attacks.
Police sources said these products glorify criminal lifestyles and can have a negative impact on young people.
In a statement, the office of the Special Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra State Cyber Department, said it filed the FIR against the sellers responsible for listing these objectionable products, as well as the platforms that hosted these listings, including Flipkcart, AliExpress, TeeShopper, and Etsy.
"This action reflects Maharashtra's commitment to maintaining a safe digital environment and preventing content that could destabilise public peace," it said in the statement.
"Such products, which idolise criminal figures, pose a significant risk to society by promoting a distorted image that could influence young minds negatively. The Maharashtra Cyber Department considers this material harmful, as it attempts to corrupt the values of the youth by using seemingly casual apparel to spread messages that glorify criminal lifestyles," it said.
"This kind of idolisation of criminal elements not only erodes societal values but also trivialises the serious crimes associated with these individuals, sending a dangerous message that glamorises illegal activities," it said, adding heroising these figures in the form of merchandise risks normalising violence and crime, creating a pathway for impressionable youth to admire and even imitate unlawful behaviour.
The FIR has been filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups), and 353 (public mischief) and provisions of the Information Technology Act.
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