Mumbai: Cops to request Instagram to deactivate account of Katrina Kaif's stalker

The Santacruz police will be sending an official request to Instagram, seeking that the account set up by arrested accused Manvinder Singh be deactivated.

Deputy commissioner of police (Zone IX) Manjunath Singe confirmed that an official request will soon be sent to Instagram, asking that Singh's account be taken down.

Singh was arrested on Monday for allegedly harassing and stalking celebrity couple Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal. A study of Singh's Instagram account reveals not only scores of morphed pictures of himself with the actress, but also videos where he claims to have married her in secret in December last year.

Singh, a Lucknow native, was currently staying in Mumbai and trying to get a break in Bollywood. At the same time, he was constantly uploading pictures of himself morphed with Kaif, and making threatening calls to Kaushal. He was arrested from a hotel in Juhu after the couple approached the police.

When Katrina announced her engagement to Kaushal, the accused started getting messages and comments from his followers, asking him about the same.

In a video that he uploaded shortly after the engagement was announced, Singh got two men wearing masks in a video with him. One of the men is seen saying, “We have frequently seen Sir and Katrina Madam coming and going together in a car and Sir is always with her on her shoots, but Madam keeps everything secret. Sir married her on December 13 and what she is claiming now is all fake.”

Singh then uploaded a second video of himself in which he said, “I'm getting many messages asking what happened, since I have been with Katrina for so long and there are so many pictures of us together. Her younger sister is facing some personal problems, due to which Katrina has to go through this charade. But the problems are solved now. I have personally solved her problem.”

The Santacruz police have taken copies of all the pictures and videos as part of the investigation. However, an officer with the Santacruz police station said that legal action can be taken in individual cases only if the person affected registers a formal complaint, as the law does not allow for suo motu action in such cases.

Published on: Thursday, July 28, 2022, 09:59 AM IST