Attacked Netherlands YouTuber fearing for my business: B'luru man tells police (2nd Ld)

Bengaluru, June 12 (IANS) The arrested street vendor, selling second hand clothes, has told the police that he attacked the Netherlands YouTuber due to the fear of his business getting affected.

The police probe has also revealed that the incident had taken place two months ago.

DCP West Lakshman Nimbargi said that police has detained the accused and identified him as Nawab Hayath Sharif (58). He said that the accused has been slapped with Section 92 of the Karnataka Police Act. Section 92 prescribes punishment for street offences and nuisance and also prescribes a fine which may extend to Rs 100 and in case of default of payment of such fine shall not exceed eight days notwithstanding anything in section 67 of the IPC.

Responding to viral posts appealing action, Bengaluru City police Commissioner B. Dayananda said that it's an old video which is now in circulation. The person harassing in the video has been identified, traced and action taken. There is no scope for such high-handedness in Namma Bengaluru against anybody.

When the YouTuber was making a video on Sultanpet streets in Chickpet locality, the accused feared that after recording, the YouTuber may give information to the police, and he won't be allowed to carry on with his business.

The accused also runs an auto-rickshaw for livelihood.

An incident of a YouTuber from the Netherlands being harassed in Bengaluru was reported on Sunday and the video and photos of the incident had gone viral a day later.

Pedro Mota, a YouTuber from the Netherlands, who is on tour of Karnataka for two months, came to Bengaluru and introduced the interior parts of the city. While the YouTuber was live, the accused appears from nowhere and start to question him for making the video in a public place. The accused also tries to drag the YouTuber. However, as the YouTuber is heckled, he manages to escape.

All the sequences were recorded on the video which went viral on social media. Mudassir Ahmad, a whistle blower, who got the photos and videos of the incident, put out a post on social media condemning the incident.

"This random guy in Chickpet harassed a foreigner, is this how we treat our guests?" Mudassir had questioned. He had also demanded action from the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and jurisdictional Chickpet police.

Advocate Ashutosh J Dubey had also condemned the incident. "It is shameful that someone would act in such a disrespectful manner towards a foreign visitor who was visiting Bengaluru, India; urgent action should be done against that person," advocate Ashutosh said.