Prateek Tanmay
3 min readBengaluruJun 11, 2026 05:48 PM IST
The Bengaluru police have identified and sought the removal of nearly 1,500 social media accounts and over 1,000 reels and URLs across multiple platforms in the last five months to curb the online glorification of criminals.
According to senior police officers, the accounts regularly post reels, videos, photographs, and other content glorifying ‘rowdy sheeters’ and gangsters, often portraying them as local celebrities and role models. Much of the content included birthday celebrations, rallies, fan gatherings, and tribute posts created by associates and supporters of known offenders.
Among the social media accounts and reels taken down till now were those allegedly glorifying Sirajuddin alias Buldu and Sameer, both from Suddaguntepalya, who have 12 and 21 criminal cases registered against them, respectively. Besides, the fan pages of Sunil alias Silent Sunil, a rowdy-sheeter from Amruthahalli, Bengaluru, who is facing around 20-21 criminal cases, have also been taken down.
“The individuals themselves often do not directly operate these accounts because many are facing criminal cases. However, their associates and supporters run fan pages on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, where they celebrate these rowdy sheeters, upload videos from birthday events, rallies, and gatherings, and project them as influential figures,” a senior police officer said.
Following verification, police officers from the Organised Crime Wing (OCW) of the Bengaluru police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) wrote to the respective companies seeking the removal of objectionable content and, in many cases, the suspension or deletion of entire accounts.
Investigators said the crackdown was initiated after the police observed a growing trend of gangsters using social media to build influence, networks, and cultivate an image of power among youngsters.
“The majority of followers we are seeing belong to the 18-22 age group. Many of them are still in a stage where their decision-making abilities are developing. They are highly impressionable and are being influenced by content that glorifies criminal behaviour,” the officer said.
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According to officers, some youngsters have been found actively engaging with these accounts, sharing content, participating in fan groups, and attending events organised by supporters of ‘rowdy sheeters’. In such cases, the police have begun counselling those involved and contacting their families. “Wherever required, we are questioning individuals, issuing warnings, and speaking to parents,” an officer added.
Earlier drives usually led to the removal of a few dozen to a few hundred accounts, along with the deletion of related posts and videos. Officers said the current monitoring effort is much larger in scale and stricter in action.
