Meesho Under Fire For Selling Lawrence Bishnoi T-Shirts; Post Goes Viral

Jafri described it as a case of “India’s latest online radicalisation,” sparking a broader debate on how digital marketplaces may inadvertently contribute to the glorification of criminals

E-commerce platform Meesho is facing significant backlash for selling t-shirts featuring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. A social media post by filmmaker Alishan Jafri mentioned the issue. In a post on X (Formerly Twitter), Jafri highlighted t-shirts priced at Rs 168, emblazoned with Bishnoi's image and the word "gangster," with some even featuring children. 

Jafri described it as a case of “India’s latest online radicalisation,” sparking a broader debate on how digital marketplaces may inadvertently contribute to the glorification of criminals.

In his post, Jafri warned about the dangers of glorifying such figures, highlighting real-life instances where young people have been influenced by gang-related content. He pointed to a case in Deoria, where a 15-year-old boy murdered a friend, reportedly inspired by online gang culture. He also mentioned three boys in Delhi who formed a group called "Badnaam Gang" and allegedly planned to record their criminal activities for Instagram, seeking notoriety.

“For much of October, I was following India's online gangster fan groups. At a time when the police and NIA are struggling to stop youths from joining gang crime, social media influencers are making quick money by promoting gang content and glorifying gangsters,” he wrote.

He added, “A few months ago, a 15-year-old boy from Deoria, inspired by gangster content, killed his friend. Before this, he had allegedly attacked his school principal and molested a girl. Similarly, three young boys in Delhi formed a group called "Badnaam Gang" and planned to murder someone and make it viral on Instagram, aiming to become dons.”

Bishnoi's gang is linked to several high-profile crimes, including the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, recent threats against Bollywood actor Salman Khan, and the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, among other criminal activities.

The post quickly caught the attention of online users; many called the platform to be "de-platformed" and held accountable for selling such stuff online. One of the users wrote, “@meesho_support @Meesho_Official do you support state sponsored terrorism or is it your own?” 

Another user added, “Glorifying crime & individuals charge sheeted by @NIA_India in terror-gangster network case has become a business in India and companies like @Meesho_Official are making money by indoctrinating children into crime. @NCPCR_ must take cognizance and NIA must investigate the matter.”