Kerala YouTuber’s alleged forced haircut by jail officials sparks family’s fury

The family of a 26-year old YouTuber from Kerala's Thrissur, who was arrested in an attempt to murder case, on Saturday accused the district jail officials of forcefully cutting his hair. 

Muhammad Shaheen Shah, resident of Eranellur in Thrissur, known as 'Manavalan' (groom) on YouTube, was remanded to judicial custody for allegedly attempting to run over college students with a car, jail officials said on Friday.

The accused was transferred to a mental health center after he experienced distress due to the cutting of his hair.

What Jail Officials Say

According to a top jail official, the hair was cut as per the norms. The accused was shifted to a hospital in Thrissur after he was seen experiencing distress and is currently under observation, the official told news agency PTI.

Family Accuses Jail Officials of Overreach

The YouTuber's family claimed that his hair was cut forcibly within two hours of him being remanded to custody and then he was sent to a mental health centre by the jail officials. 

The family also claimed that on the next day, his hair and beard were completely trimmed by force. "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 rejected the jail officials' reported claim that the Youtuber agreed to the cutting of his hair, saying that 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. The Thrissur Police had nabbed him from Kodagu in Karnataka where he was hiding, on Tuesday. He had been on the run since the incident on April 19, 2024.

Subsequently, he was produced before a local court which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody in Thrissur District Jail.