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YouTuber Mukthar Ahmed (50), who had been absconding for nearly a week, was arrested by the Chennai Cyber Crime Wing on June 9. According to reports, he was apprehended in Mysuru, Karnataka. He was booked for allegedly making sexually explicit and defamatory remarks against BJP leader Alisha Abdullah.
The case stems from a video published on June 3 on the “My India 24X7” YouTube channel featuring Mukthar Ahmed and Suriya Siva, a former BJP functionary and son of DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva. The video allegedly contained insulting and sexually coloured remarks directed at Alisha Abdullah, a former motorcycle racer and BJP Sports and Skill Development Cell state secretary, as well as her twin children.
In her complaint, Alisha alleged that Mukthar and Suriya Siva had targeted her since she entered politics two years ago. Referring to the recent video, she objected to the remarks made about her children.
Following her complaint, the Cyber Crime Wing registered a case and arrested Suriya Siva. Efforts were then launched to trace Mukthar Ahmed, culminating in his arrest on June 9. His arrest is also linked to another criminal case.
Soon after the arrest, Alisha thanked the police and the state government through a post on social media.
Meanwhile, in a petition filed before the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail, Mukthar denied the allegations of character assassination. He claimed that Alisha had filed a “bogus” complaint to gain publicity and media attention, The Hindu reported.
The petitioner submitted screenshots of social media posts made by Alisha in which she expressed outrage over the interview and warned of legal action against both the interviewer and the interviewee. He stated that he had also filed a counter-complaint, but the police allegedly did not register a case based on his complaint.
He also claimed innocence, blaming his associates for publishing the controversial video without proper vetting or his prior approval. According to his petition, Mukthar was travelling with his family from Vellore to Tiruvannamalai on May 22 when the video was uploaded by his associates without his knowledge or consent.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM
