The family of a 26-year-old YouTuber from Kerala’s Thrissur, arrested in an attempted murder case, has accused district jail officials of forcibly cutting his hair.
Muhammad Shaheen Shah, a resident of Eranellur in Thrissur and popularly known as ‘Manavalan’ (groom) on YouTube, was remanded to judicial custody for allegedly attempting to run over college students with a car, according to jail officials.
Following the incident, the accused was transferred to a mental health center after reportedly experiencing distress over the haircut.
Statement from Jail officials
A senior jail official stated that the haircut was carried out in accordance with regulations. The accused was transferred to a hospital in Thrissur after displaying signs of distress and is currently under observation, the official informed news agency PTI.
‘His hair and beard….’: Youtuber’s family
The family of the YouTuber alleged that his hair was forcibly cut within two hours of being remanded to custody, following which jail officials sent him to a mental health center.
According to the family, the next day, his hair and beard were entirely trimmed against his will. “His hair and beard were trimmed to such an extent that he has become unrecognisable. He had requested the officials to give him time to move an application against the cutting of his hair as he was expecting a role in a film and also due to his upcoming marriage. But they did not heed his request,” the family claimed.
They also dismissed the jail officials’ reported assertion that the YouTuber had consented to the haircut. “If that was the case, then they would not have sent complaints to the court, Kerala Chief Minister, and top police officers in the state,” they argued.
The Thrissur Police had apprehended him from Kodagu in Karnataka, where he had been hiding, on Tuesday. He had been on the run since the incident on April 19, 2024. He was subsequently presented before a local court, which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody at the Thrissur District Jail.
