CHANDIGARH: Incidents of vigilante violence targeting social media influencers in Punjab have sparked widespread fear, exposing a dangerous trend of radical groups intimidating and killing content creators under the guise of moral policing.
The brutal murder of Instagram star Kanchan Kumari, widely known as Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, has sent shockwaves through the digital community, shifting focus to the need for stringent laws to curb this escalating crisis. Kanchan, a 28-year-old influencer with over 383,000 followers on the day of her death, which has now reached 445,000, was found strangled in a car near Bathinda’s Adesh Medical University on 10 June.
Authorities allege that Amritpal Singh Mehron, a radical preacher with ties to extremist groups, lured her to a fake video shoot before orchestrating her murder, citing her content as “immoral.” Mehron, who has apparently fled to the UAE, is now the subject of a look-out circular, with Punjab Police pursuing his deportation. Meanwhile, two of his associates, Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh have already been arrested and are under interrogation.
The killing has not only devastated Kanchan’s family and fans but also ignited a firestorm of online glorification of her murderer. Fringe social media accounts linked to radical religious outfits celebrated the act, with hashtags praising Mehron briefly trending. This alarming response has left other influencers, such as Simarpreet Kaur (Preet Jatti) and Deepika Luthra, reeling from death threats. Many creators are now deleting posts, disabling comments, or abandoning platforms altogether in fear for their lives. The incident reminds people of the 1980s when singers and actors were also threatened by militants. The Kamal Kaur killing reminds people about the murder of famous singer Amar Singh Chamkila and his wife Amarjot Kaur, who were shot dead on 8 March 1988.
Adding to the tension, the head priest of the Akal Takht has justified the killing saying nothing wrong has happened and nobody should listen to obscene songs. He said those who spread vulgarity in the name of Sikh religion should face this kind of punishment.
“This is no longer about criticism—it’s about life and death,” said influencer Chand Singh from Bandra village, who has shifted to safer content to avoid targeting. The pervasive fear has stifled free expression, with creators self-censoring to evade the wrath of vigilante groups.
Further the glorification of vigilante violence on social media has raised urgent concerns about the role of platforms in amplifying hate, with several posters and video being circulated on social media terming Kanchan’s killer Amritpal as “Kaum Da Heera’ (Jewel of the Community) and “Izattan De Rakhe” (Protector of Honour) and posts hailing Kanchan’s murder as “justice”. Meanwhile, police cyber cells are struggling to dismantle these hate networks, with Instagram deactivating Mehron’s accounts and banning his group, Qaum De Rakhe.
Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld personal liberty in recent rulings, with Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj stating, “Individual autonomy cannot be dictated by societal morality.”
Punjab State Women’s Commission chairperson Raj Lali Gill condemned the violence, saying, “No one has the right to act as moral police. This is dangerous vigilantism, not culture.”
Taking note of the incident, Punjab Police have started monitoring of several popular influencers’ accounts allegedly involved in posting vulgar content, using double meanings, or sharing things that could disturb peace and order.
The cyber cell of the Punjab police has prepared a list of 123 social media accounts belonging to influencers from Punjab who are being watched for posting “inappropriate” reels and content.
According to ADGP V. Neeraja, the cyber cell of Punjab police was very active in monitoring content on social media accounts in the past two years. Police have removed over 8,000 offensive posts from social media. Now, the cyber cell is keeping a close eye on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other sites. A list is being made of those who post vulgar content using these platforms. Neeraja also said that the cyber cell regularly reports bad content to platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. If these platforms don’t take quick action, they can lose their legal protection under Section 79 of the IT Act. Usually, this section protects social media companies from being blamed for what users post. But if they don’t remove harmful content after being told by the government, then they can face legal action. Also, if they ignore government orders, they can be punished under Section 67A of the IT Act, which involves the Ministry of Electronics and IT. The state police cyber cell has already flagged about 100 harmful posts and asked the platforms to remove them under the IT Act.
Police have started taking action against these controversial influencers, and more steps will be taken soon. A senior officer said, on condition of anonymity, that many popular influencers are now being closely watched for sharing provocative content.
However, the crisis extends beyond Punjab. In Haryana the body of 23-year-old influencer and model, Sheetal alias Simmi Chaudhary, was found dumped in the Reliance Canal near Kharkhoda in Sonipat, with injuries inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon. However, the Haryana police have managed to crack the case and arrested her friend on charges of murder who later confessed to the killing and dumping of her body. But the incidents and targeted killings of influencers have sent shockwaves across the social media community raising demands of action for safety and security.
