Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based builder has been booked by the city police for allegedly stopping his car on a flyover, bursting firecrackers and uploading a video of the stunt on Instagram in an apparent bid to gain social media attention.
The accused, identified as Raghavendra, allegedly carried out the act on July 15 on the Shivanahalli Flyover on West of Chord Road.
Video filmed for social media
According to police, Raghavendra parked his car in the middle of the flyover before bursting firecrackers and recording the incident. Investigators said the video was created as part of a promotional social media reel intended to attract more views and followers on Instagram.
The incident came to light after an X (formerly Twitter) user operating the handle ‘RC BENGALURU’ shared the video online and tagged the Bengaluru Police, urging authorities to take action against the accused for endangering public safety and disrupting traffic.
Police register case
Acting on the complaint, the Vijayanagar Traffic Police traced Raghavendra and summoned him for questioning. He was instructed to remove the video from his Instagram account.
Police subsequently registered a case against him under Section 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter.
Officials reiterated that public roads and flyovers cannot be used for creating social media content in a manner that obstructs traffic or endangers the lives of commuters.
The police also warned that strict action would be taken against anyone found engaging in similar acts that compromise public safety for online popularity.