Police Arrest Accused Behind Viral Lock-Up Video; Mobile Allegedly Obtained From Mentally Unstable Youth

The Ahmedabad City Police have claimed to have unravelled the circumstances under which a video recorded from inside the lock-up at the Shaherkotda police station went viral on social media, arresting the accused who allegedly filmed and circulated the footage.

According to the police, the accused, identified as Sajid Afridi alias Abdul Mannan Ansari, had been brought to the Shaherkotda police station in connection with a case of assault and was being held in the lock-up under preventive detention proceedings.

Police said that, during the same period, a mentally unstable youth from Maharashtra had been brought to the police station after he became separated from his family while travelling to Gandhinagar to seek admission to a college. Efforts were underway to trace his relatives, and he was kept at the police station until his father arrived to take him home.

Police Allege Accused Secretly Used Youth's Mobile to Record Footage

Investigators alleged that Ansari took advantage of the youth's mental condition and managed to obtain his mobile phone. He then allegedly recorded a video from inside the lock-up, sent it to another mobile phone at his residence, deleted the sent file from the device and returned the handset to the youth without raising suspicion.

The video later surfaced on social media, prompting an internal police inquiry.

Fresh FIR Registered; Police Clarify Tablet Mention in Viral Video

The Shaherkotda police have since arrested Ansari for allegedly recording and circulating the video. A fresh case has been registered against him on charges including criminal intimidation and using abusive and obscene language, police said.

During the investigation, police also examined a claim made in the viral video regarding the consumption of tablets. Officers said the tablets referred to in the footage were found to be Nitrosun-10, a prescription sleeping medication, and not any other prohibited substance.

Police further stated that the incident occurred without the knowledge of the Police Station Officer (PSO), maintaining that the accused had secretly used the mobile phone to record the footage.

Accused Has Multiple Criminal Cases; Investigation Continues

According to the police, Ansari has a criminal record. He was booked in a murder case registered at the Vatva police station in 2021 and has also faced cases of molestation, cheating and assault registered at the Gomtipur and Saijpur Bogha police stations.

Speaking on the investigation, Police Inspector Vijay Chaudhary of the Shaherkotda police station said the accused had exploited an opportunity created by the presence of the mentally unstable youth to obtain the mobile phone and record the video. The investigation into the matter is continuing.