Mumbai: The Maharashtra cyber police on Thursday registered an FIR against seven e-commerce platforms and several other sellers for allegedly listing and selling T-shirts with objectionable content, including images and quotes meant to glorify notorious criminals like Lawrence Bishnoi and Dawood Ibrahim. Listings describe these gangsters as cultural icons.

The platforms investigated include major e-commerce sites such as Flipkart, AliExpress and marketplaces such as TeeShopper and Etsy. A T-shirt, marked by the police, displayed a quote attributed to Dawood Ibrahim: “Dum awaaz me nahi alfaaz me hona chahiye” (Power lies not in the force of speech, but in the force of words).

Due to strong criticism online for listing such merchandise, Meesho, the online marketplace, has removed the Bishnoi T-shirts from its website and said it remains committed to providing a safe shopping experience.

Lawrence Bishnoi, a known gangster, has gained infamy in recent years due to his alleged involvement in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and death threat to Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The recent killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique was also linked to the Bishnoi gang.

Dawood Ibrahim, one of India’s most wanted criminals, is an infamous mobster and founder of the South Asian crime syndicate D-Company.

A cyber police official noted that the platforms allegedly sold T-shirts featuring notorious criminals with slogans and images that could negatively influence young minds.

“Such products, idolizing criminal figures, pose a risk by promoting a distorted image that could be harmful to society. We are issuing summons to the platforms and sellers involved and arrests are expected soon,” the officer said.

The cyber department, which serves as the state’s nodal agency for cyber security and cyber crime, actively monitors the digital landscape to prevent content that could incite disorder. Following a vigilance operation, authorities found that platforms such as Flipkart, AliExpress, TeeShopper and Etsy were selling clothing that glorified criminal figures.

The FIR was registered under sections 192 (eager provocation with intent to incite riot), 196 (promotion of enmity) and 353 (statements leading to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with section 67 ( penalty for publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act, 2000.

This action underscores the department’s commitment to maintaining safe and responsible online platforms, particularly in light of the potential societal impact of such commodities.