Cricketers Face Complaint For Allegedly Mocking Disabilities In Video

Former cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj Singh are under investigation following a complaint that accuses them of mocking people with disabilities in an Instagram video. The complaint, filed by the executive director of NCPED, highlights the video's poor taste and legal violations.

A police complaint has been lodged against former cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, and Gurkeerat.

The complaint alleges that they mocked people with disabilities in a video shared on Instagram.

Arman Ali, the executive director of the National for Promotion of Employment for Disabled (NCPED), filed the complaint with the Station House Officer (SHO) of Colony police station. The video was posted after the India Champions defeated the Pakistan Champions by five wickets in the World Championship of Legends final, as reported by Jagran.

In it, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Suresh Raina are seen limping and holding their backs, supposedly to depict the physical strain taken by the matches on their bodies. The caption read: "Body ki Tauba Tauba ho Gayi in 15 days legends cricket... Every part of the body is sore. Straight competition to our brothers @vickykaushal09 @karanaujla our version of Tauba Tauba dance. What a SONG."

Complaint Against Meta India

The complaint also names Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President and Managing Director of Meta India. It accuses Instagram, owned by Meta, of violating the Information Technology Act, of 2000, by allowing such content to be posted.

A police officer confirmed that the complaint was received at Amar Colony police station and will be forwarded to the district's cyber cell for further investigation, as reported by The Jagran.

Disability activists have criticised the video as being in poor taste. The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled called it "totally disgraceful." The complaint stated that Instagram failed to adhere to its user guidelines, thus enabling derogatory content dissemination.

Legal Violations Highlighted

"This video is a blatant violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees every person the right to life with dignity," Arman Ali said in his complaint. He added that it also breaches Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and contravenes Supreme Court guidelines established in Nipun Malhotra v. Sony Pictures Films India Private Limited (2004 SCC Online SC 1639).

Amidst public outrage over the video, Harbhajan Singh issued an apology through his official X account.

The incident has sparked significant backlash from disability rights groups who demand accountability from both individuals involved and social media platforms hosting such content.