A 19-year-old youth has been booked by Ahmedabad Traffic Police after a promotional social media reel shot in the middle of a busy city intersection went viral, raising concerns over public safety and traffic violations.
The video showed the youth sitting on a chair in front of vehicles halted at a traffic signal at Shyamal Crossroads while promoting passes for a Navratri event. Although no accident occurred during the stunt, police said the act endangered both the individual and other road users.
According to officials from the N-Division Traffic Police, an investigation revealed that the reel was filmed at Shyamal Crossroads on June 21 and later uploaded on the social media page of 360 Events as part of a promotional campaign.
Police subsequently identified the person featured in the video as a 19-year-old resident of Anandnagar. During questioning, he reportedly told investigators that the stunt was intended to attract attention and boost engagement on social media.
Based on the findings, police registered a case against him under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for obstructing traffic and creating a potentially hazardous situation on a public road.
Officials noted that while the traffic signal was red and vehicles were stationary at the time, the act violated traffic regulations and posed safety risks at one of the city’s busy junctions.
Police said the incident reflects a growing trend of influencers and event promoters carrying out risky public stunts to gain online visibility. Authorities warned that strict action would be taken against individuals who compromise public safety for social media content.
Following criticism from social media users, the promotional reel was subsequently removed from the platform.