A police complaint has been filed against former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and Gurkeerat Mann for allegedly mocking people with disabilities in an Instagram video.
The complaint was filed by Arman Ali, the executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), with the SHO of the Amar Colony police station in Delhi.
The complaint alleges that the former cricketers made fun of and mimicked people with disabilities in the video posted on Instagram.
The video showed Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Raina limping and holding their backs, apparently to show the physical toll of playing cricket matches. The caption read: “Body ki Tauba Tauba ho Gayi in 15 days legends cricket… Every part of the body is sore.”
Disability activists and social media users found the video to be in poor taste, claiming the cricketers were insulting and disrespecting the disabled community.
The complaint states that the video violates Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life with dignity, as well as Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The complaint also alleges that Instagram, owned by Meta, violated the Information Technology Act, 2000, by allowing such content to be posted on the platform.
Social media users also heavily criticized the cricketers, calling their behavior unacceptable and insensitive. They felt the video set a poor example and normalized the mocking of people with disabilities.
Overall, the public reaction was overwhelmingly negative, with the cricketers being accused of mocking and disrespecting people with disabilities, which was seen as highly inappropriate and unacceptable behavior by public figures.
After the backlash, Harbhajan Singh issued an apology, stating that the video was not meant to hurt anyone’s sentiments and that they were just reflecting the physical toll on their bodies after playing continuous cricket.
The police have registered a case against the four former cricketers, and an investigation is ongoing. The complainant has demanded strict action against the cricketers involved.
