'Viral' Virus: Stiff fines, vehicle seizures don't stop Insta reel makers

Noida, Aug 20 (IANS) The cases of risking one's own life and that of others for creating stunt videos and Instagram reels to become famous on social media are not coming down despite police action against such acts.

In the last 2 months, such cases have increased four-fold. Those involved in such acts are being challaned on a regular basis, even their vehicles are being seized in some cases, still, social media platforms are flooded with such videos and reels.

This year, in the last 8 months, more than 200 videos of vehicle stunts have come to the fore. Most of them have been reported in the last 2 months. 

The lowest seven cases were reported in January. At the same time, their number increased to 14 in February and then gradually these cases kept increasing every month.

On August 17, a video of Noida's Sector 24 surfaced online in which a youth was seen lying on the roof of a moving car.  

Taking cognizance of the video, the traffic police has challaned the vehicle owner of Rs 26,000. The car is being searched. The duration of the viral video is 19 seconds. The number plate of the car was also visible in the video.

It was clearly visible in the video that the stunt was performed when there is heavy traffic on the road and a big accident could have happened due to a slight mistake.

Similarly, on August 12, a video surfaced, in which two youths were seen standing on the roof of a moving car to make a reel. They were challaned Rs 23,500. The video is of 20 seconds. 

In the video, the two youths -- one who was driving the car and the other sitting next to him -- came out of the vehicle and sat on the roof of the car, which was still moving.

Fortunately, the road on which this stunt was being performed was empty. Else, some major accident could have happened.

On July 27, a video of some youths performing stunts by hanging out of the windows of a speeding car in Ghaziabad has surfaced online. Later, the police reached the car owner, detained three youths and seized the car.

According to the information, three to four youths were seen performing dangerous stunts on the moving Baleno car on the road in front of Sahibabad Rapid Metro Station, taking immediate cognizance of the video, the police registered a case.

The arrested youths revealed that at the time of the incident, they were returning after celebrating a friend's birthday party. 

In the past, a video of a man driving an SUV rashly on the Noida Expressway went viral on social media. 

Taking cognizance of the video, the police issued a challan of Rs 37,000 to the driver.

DCP Traffic Anil Kumar Yadav says that whenever such cases come to the cognizance of the police, they take strict action.

He asserts that for the past several days, the trend of youths making reels with pistols has increased. Be it a real pistol or a fake. 

Yadav says that as soon as the video goes viral on social media, the police automatically take cognizance of it and initiate action.

He adds that youth do such acts to become famous in less time and to show their supremacy but this puts their as well as others' lives at risk.

The DCP says that till now challans ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 37,000 have been issued against such acts but still such cases keep coming to the fore. "The police are trying to take more strict action against such people so that the youth avoid doing such dangerous stunts," he asserts.