C. Stewart
Here’s a summary of what’s currently known and reported about Shimjitha Musthafa based on reliable news sources (as of January 20, 2026):
📍 Who She Is
- Shimjitha Musthafa is a 35-year-old woman from Vadakara in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India. She has a presence on social media and has been described as a social media influencer.(Home)
📍 Background and Public Profile
- She entered local politics in 2020 when she was elected as a panchayat (local council) member in the Areekode Grama Panchayat, standing as a candidate of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).(Home)
- After her election, she travelled to Dubai where her husband was working and became more active online, producing content as an influencer. Over time, she disengaged from active political life and focused more on her social media presence.(Home)
📍 Controversy and Legal Case (January 2026)
- Shimjitha came into widespread public attention in mid-January 2026 due to an incident involving a viral video recorded on a bus in Kerala.(The Week)
- In the video, she accused a man named Deepak (in his early 40s) of inappropriately touching her during a bus journey. That video circulated widely on social media and quickly garnered hundreds of thousands to millions of views.(India Blooms)
📍 Aftermath
- Deepak was later found dead by suicide at his residence. His family has said that he was deeply distressed by the viral allegations and the public reactions they generated.(Gulf News)
- Following a complaint by Deepak’s mother, the Kozhikode Medical College police registered a case against Shimjitha Musthafa under Indian law — specifically under provisions relating to abetment of suicide — and invoked non-bailable sections in that filing.(India Today)
- The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has also ordered a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the video, Deepak’s death, and the events that followed.(Gulf News)
- In some reports, she has made her social media accounts private or deactivated them and is reported to be difficult to locate as the legal process continues.(Free Press Journal)
⚠️ Public Reaction and Debate
- The incident has sparked widespread debate and controversy online and in the press over issues such as:
- The role of social media in public accusations (sometimes referred to as “social media trials”).(www.ndtv.com)
- The responsibility of influencers, and whether the video was responsible, fair, or possibly motivated by a desire for online visibility.(www.ndtv.com)
- Questions about legal accountability when a viral allegation leads to serious real-world consequences.(Gulf News)
📍 Summary
Shimjitha Musthafa is best known publicly not for long-standing professional achievements but for her involvement in a high-profile Kerala case in which a viral bus incident video she recorded and shared has been linked — by police complaints, media reporting, and public discourse — to the suicide of a man named Deepak. As of now, she is facing a police case under abetment laws and the situation is part of an ongoing investigation.(India Today)
C. Stewart
