Raigarh: In a crackdown on dangerous motorcycle stunts performed for social media attention, Raigarh police arrested five 21-year-old youths and sent them to jail after they were allegedly caught performing life-threatening manoeuvres and indulging in obscene acts on a public road.
The Chakradhar Nagar police took preventive action against the five under Sections 170, 126 and 135(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). They were produced before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), who issued jail warrants, following which they were sent to jail.
According to police, the incident took place on the night of November 9, when the five youths, travelling on two motorcycles, were heading from Shaheed Hemu Kalani Chowk towards Chakradhar Nagar Chowk. They allegedly performed dangerous stunts while riding and indulged in objectionable and obscene acts on the moving motorcycles. They were also recording the acts, apparently to create content for social media.
A passerby recorded their activities on a mobile phone and alerted the Chakradhar Nagar police station. Taking serious note of the incident, station house officer Inspector Rakesh Mishra brought it to the notice of SSP Shashi Mohan Singh, who directed the police to identify the youths and take appropriate action.
Acting on the video footage, the police identified all five and summoned them to the police station along with their parents. The youths were counselled about the dangers of such behaviour, which not only puts their own lives at risk but also endangers pedestrians and other road users. However, considering the seriousness of their alleged conduct, police initiated preventive proceedings against them and produced them before the SDM court. They were subsequently sent to jail after the court issued warrants.
The five youths were identified as Vidyadhar Dewangan, Hrithik Bareth, Ashish Chauhan, Akash Sharma and Manish Sharma, all aged 21 and residents of different localities under the Chakradhar Nagar police station limits.
Police said its social media monitoring cell was keeping a close watch on online platforms to identify videos showing dangerous stunts and objectionable activities in public places.
SSP Shashi Mohan Singh warned that roads were meant for safe commuting and not for stunts or hooliganism. “People should not put their lives and those of others at risk for a few likes and views on social media. Raigarh police are continuously monitoring such activities, and strict legal action will be taken against those indulging in dangerous stunts, obscene acts in public places or violating traffic rules,” he said.
