The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested two Instagram influencers – Mehak and Pari – for posting ‘vulgar’ content on social media to gain views. According to the First Information Report (FIR), besides the two influencers identified as Mehak and Pari (alias Nisha), two of their other team members have also been named in the case. They were arrested on Monday night.
A search for Mehak and Pari on Instagram reveals multiple accounts with large followings, including ‘@mehakpari143’, which has close to 4.8 lakh followers. Several mirror accounts have also surfaced, sharing their videos where they discuss sex-related topics and use commonly heard profanities.
Police said that some of these accounts have been removed by the platform following legal directives, though a few were still accessible as of Wednesday evening (July 16).
The social media influencers in question were earning “approximately ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 per month from their Instagram content.”
“Tempted by this income, they resorted to using vulgar language and obscene visuals to attract viewers and gain cheap popularity,” a police official was quoted as saying.
Sambhal Superintendent of Police Krishan Bishnoi told the media that Mehak, Pari, and Hina – residents of Shahbazpur village under the Asmoli police station limits – had been uploading “reels containing obscene language, abuses and gestures.”
“Through these videos, they were crossing all limits of obscenity. There was a lot of anger among the local people and villagers due to their actions. After a complaint by the villagers, action was taken,” the officer said.
“All those who spread obscenity to gain cheap popularity on Instagram are requested not to do such things. The police will not hesitate to take strict legal action against such people,” he added.
A case was registered against the two women (Mehak and Pari) on Sunday evening under Section 296 B (singing, reciting, or uttering any obscene song, ballad, or words in or near any public place) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)