Mumbai, India – In a crackdown on e-commerce sites glamorizing criminal figures, Maharashtra Cyber Police filed cases on Thursday against multiple online platforms, including Flipkart, Etsy, AliExpress, and Teeshopper, for selling T-shirts featuring images of notorious criminals Dawood Ibrahim and Lawrence Bishnoi. This comes amid growing concerns over products that may normalize or even idolize crime, especially among young people.

During routine online monitoring, cyber officials identified several listings showcasing the faces of Ibrahim, a fugitive linked to the 1993 Mumbai bombings, and Bishnoi, a high-profile gang leader currently jailed in Gujarat and connected to over 70 criminal cases, including threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and involvement in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder.

An official from Maharashtra’s cyber cell voiced concerns that selling such items “promotes a distorted value system” and could adversely influence impressionable youth. Social media users have also condemned the platforms, highlighting the potential risks of idolizing these individuals through clothing.

The listings, which drew attention on social media earlier this week, were priced at around Rs 1,500 on Etsy. Users on X (formerly Twitter) called out platforms like Flipkart and Meesho for promoting products that feature individuals involved in serious criminal activities. Public backlash has intensified against such e-commerce sites for allegedly glamorizing crime.

Law enforcement agencies have noted a rise in the popularity of criminal figures in certain sections of pop culture, emphasizing that these portrayals could contribute to a misguided fascination with crime.